Tag Archives: tourism

Cruise Saudi has awarded a contract with PC Marine Services to develop a Red Sea private island for cruise tourism. The development will turn the island into a new destination to explore in Saudi, exclusive to cruise passengers. Facilities will include a welcome centre, dining area, and beach club with private villas and sunbeds to accommodate initially up to 2,000 guests. PC Marine Services are leaders in the marine construction industry, having overseen projects including the Obhur Waterfront Jeddah development and cruise berth improvements in Jeddah, Dammam and Yanbu.  Authentically Saudi in both design and experiences, the private island will be a first of its kind offering in the Red Sea. Cruise lines will stop at the island for a day trip, where visitors can make the most of the facilities or book one of the many land and sea excursions. The development of the private island marks a strategic and innovative next step in Cruise Saudi’s vision to create a thriving cruise sector. In line with Vision 2030’s goals to diversify Saudi’s economy, the island will be an attractive proposition for international visitors, both frequent cruisers and those new to cruise. Barbara Buczek, Cruise Saudi’s Chief Destination Experiences Officer, commented: “The creation of this new cruise destination in the Red Sea marks an exciting step in the development of Saudi’s cruise industry. We look forward to welcoming cruise lines and their passengers to experience authentic Saudi hospitality, culture and activities in the heart of the Red Sea.” Adnan Alshareef, PC Marine services’ Chief Executive Officer & President, said: “We are proud to be selected as the main contractor for the Private Island project. At PC Marine, we recognise the …

According to a new report released by Kearney titled: “In the mind of global travelers: how travelers’ evolving expectations are reshaping tourism” which explores preferences and priorities as international tourism traffic is poised to outpace pre-pandemic levels this year. The Middle East, for example, is well poised to capitalize on this given the visionary projects and substantial investments in tourism infrastructure being made. “Tourism in the Middle East is still in its early stages and it takes time to build a strong reputation, so it’s encouraging to see emerging destinations like the Red Sea coastline, the Albanian Riviera, Patagonia, and Lijiang making tourists’ shortlists. This suggests that with continuous asset development and strategic marketing, countries in the region can position themselves as increasingly desirable global destinations,” commented Pascal Armoudom, Partner at Kearney Middle East & Africa. It was stated that emerging destinations are gaining ground on travelers’ preferred lists, signaling a significant shift in global tourism trends. The report released at the Future Hospitality Summit in Dubai highlights that while travelers still prefer iconic destinations, over-tourism remains a growing concern, presenting promising opportunities for emerging markets. When looking into evolving preferences, travelers are favoring destinations that offer both leisure and urban experiences. Sun, sea and lifestyle remain the top choice, with Dubai coming in fourth globally after Miami, Bahamas, and the Maldives. There is a notable shift towards ecotourism as more globetrotters – particularly millennials – seek sustainable experiences that connect them with nature while minimizing environmental impact. A significant 86% of respondents aged 25-34 expressed a strong preference for tourism destinations minimizing environmental impact, looking for green mobility at their destination, and supporting eco-friendly accommodations. This trend presents an enormous opportunity …

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in collaboration with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism launched a new report revealing the stark impact of the pandemic on women and youth employment within the global Travel & Tourism sector. Almost 70 million people working in Travel & Tourism lost their jobs during the pandemic, but women and young people were disproportionately impacted because their roles were more likely to be in the worst affected areas such as hospitality and food services. While the sector has broadly seen a strong recovery, the ‘Social Trends in Travel & Tourism Employment’ report found it employed 42 million women and just over 16 million young people in 2022, notably lower than the 48.4 million women (-13%) and nearly 19 million young workers (15%) supported by the sector in 2019. While the sector remains a vital source of jobs for underrepresented groups, the report makes clear that more must be done to ensure an inclusive and equitable recovery. The report, which examines employment trends across 185 economies from 2019 to 2022, underscores the sector’s potential as a key driver of inclusive economic growth and social progress. It is critical that we learn from these hardships and implement measures to protect these groups from being disproportionately affected in future crises. According to the latest EIR data, in 2023, the Travel & Tourism sector’s GDP contribution rose by 29.1% above pre-pandemic levels, outpacing the global average, which remained 4.1% below. Yet despite this economic rebound, the social recovery continued to lag, particularly for women and young people who remain more likely to be stuck in informal, part-time, or low-wage roles without security or growth potential. Julia …

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) conducted a special youth summer tourism camp in Al Ain, a 10-day immersion into the emirate’s growing tourism and hospitality industry. Aligned with the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, DCT Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Youth Summer Camp targets UAE nationals aged 16-21 who are interested in pursuing careers in the emirate’s tourism and hospitality sectors to learn about Abu Dhabi’s standing as a premier travel and cultural destination. H.E Saleh Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “The success of our Tourism Youth Summer Camp in Abu Dhabi inspired us to launch the Al Ain Tourism Youth Summer Camp, and I am immensely proud of the inaugural batch of students who have participated. By harnessing the talent and passion of our youth and preparing them well, we are ensuring they can showcase Abu Dhabi as a leading global destination and become exceptional ambassadors for the emirate.” During the Al Ain edition of the annual programme, students took part in a five-day placement at 11 prestigious, 4- to 5-star Al Ain hotels, rotating through various departments including the front desk, food and beverage service, kitchen, recreation, and events, granting them a thorough understanding of the different components of the hospitality industry. Moreover, the placements taught students essential skills and highlighted valuable insights into the sector’s business and operational components, as well as its contribution to Abu Dhabi’s economy. In addition to the work placement, the Tourism Youth Summer Camp also included classroom-based sessions and immersive field trips, through which participants gained a multifaceted understanding of Al Ain as a tourism and cultural destination, while receiving insights from …

Future Hospitality Summit World unveiled its stellar line up of speakers, an action-packed agenda and a wealth of new features at its biggest event to date, which will see more than 1,500 hospitality and tourism leaders descend on Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah, 30 September to 2 October with TravTalk Middle East. Under the theme ‘Invest in our Future’, the FHS World programme will present three days of strong debate, insight and groundbreaking news, covering everything from investment opportunities to innovation and ESG to exclusive announcements. Among more than 110 confirmed top-flight speakers and presenters at FHS World is His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy for the UAE who, having played a crucial role in developing some of country’s most important hospitality and tourism policies, will share his insights on the world of hospitality investment in a welcome address moderated by Stephen Sackur, Presenter of HARDTalk, on 1 October. Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of FHS World organiser, The Bench, said: “FHS World is all about bringing together the best in the industry and connecting decision-makers, investors, hotel owners, operators and innovators across the global hospitality investment sector. As the hospitality and tourism industry reaches new heights in terms of investment, innovation and sustainability, our bursting agenda will push boundaries and challenge the norms to set the tone for the immediate, short-term and long-term future and success of the ever-growing and evolving sector. We look forward to three days of strong discussion, hot debate and industry-changing decision making it our biggest, boldest event yet.” Who is speaking at FHS World? The growing list of speakers at FHS World features renowned names in hospitality, investment and tourism. Among them: His Excellency …

Her Highness Princess Haifa Mohammed Al Saud, Vice Minister of Tourism, has initiated the largest programmatic and institutional accreditation initiative. This effort is designed to enhance the quality of tourism education and training, aiming to improve the efficiency of education and training outcomes in the Kingdom’s tourism sector and better connect them to the labor market. HH emphasized that since its inception, the Ministry has been dedicated to enhancing the educational and training programs and aligning their outcomes with the needs of the current and future labor market. She noted that the launch of this substantial initiative marks a critical step towards ensuring the success of these efforts. HH also detailed that this initiative, the largest worldwide, involves assessing the quality of 102 national tourism education and training programs throughout 2024. This assessment will be conducted in partnership with 3 organizations to measure the quality of tourism programs: UN Tourism, the Education and Training Evaluation Commission, and the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation. The goal of the initiative is to enable tourism education and training institutions supported by the Ministry of Tourism to earn both international and local accreditations and professional certificates. The initiative aims to accomplish various short- and long-term objectives. These include 31 tourism education and training programs and institutions receiving national and international accreditation by 2024, 200 trainers and educational and administrative staff earning professional certificates to deliver new tourism programs developed by the Ministry in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization for the year 2024, and 37 Ministry of Tourism employees obtaining professional certification to manage tourism programs. Additionally, by 2025, the initiative targets 27 tourism education and training programs and institutions to achieve …

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and his Azerbaijani counterpart H.E. Mikayil Jabbarov during the sessions on intergovernmental joint partnerships between the UAE and Azerbaijan expressed their interest in organizing joint tourism exhibitions, events, and conferences to highlight the key tourism and historical attractions of both countries and to leverage their diverse tourism offerings The collaboration is expected to boost tourism inflows from across the globe, particularly given that there are over 185 flights connecting the two destinations every month, operated by the UAE’s national carriers. Both parties discussed ways to strengthen collaboration in the areas of digitalization, innovation, and technology. The need to exchange insights on the development of an innovative ecosystem and promote cooperative efforts between the government entities focused on AI and innovative solutions in both countries was highlighted. The ninth session of the UAE-Azerbaijan Joint Intergovernmental Commission (JIC) for Economic, Trade and Technical Cooperation between the two countries was held in the Azerbaijani city of Shusha, chaired by H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy; and his Azerbaijani counterpart H.E. Mikayil Jabbarov. The session was attended by several senior officials and government and private sector representatives from both sides. During the meeting, the UAE and Azerbaijan agreed to develop their existing economic partnership in the sectors of entrepreneurship, SMEs, new economy, tourism, aviation, industry, innovation, technology, agriculture, food security, logistics, culture, energy, renewable energy and investment. H.E. Bin Touq stated that the UAE and Azerbaijan share strong strategic relations and economic partnerships that have evolved over more than three decades. These relations are characterized by the frequent exchange of high-level visits between the two countries. The most recent of them was …

H.E. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Nicolás Grau, the Minister of Economy, Development, and Tourism of Chile, to explore new avenues to strengthen economic ties between the two countries in the fields of new economy, tourism, aviation, entrepreneurship, e-commerce, renewable energy, technology, and agriculture. H.E. Bin Touq emphasized the UAE’s robust and expanding economic relations with the Republic of Chile, highlighting that the two countries have successfully forged sustainable and diverse partnerships and agreements across various economic and investment domains. The meeting highlighted the significance of signing the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and Chile as a major step towards strengthening the existing economic cooperation in various sectors. The primary objective of the agreement is to enhance investment flows, create opportunities, expand trade, and encourage partnerships at the private sector level. Furthermore, it will streamline the access of companies from both countries to promising markets and opportunities in Asia and South America. H.E. Bin Touq said: “We consider the Republic of Chile as a valuable economic partner for the UAE in South America, as it boasts a favourable investment environment. We look forward to elevating our economic relations to new heights at both government and private sector levels, as well as exploring promising opportunities in sectors and areas of mutual interest.” The discussions focused on the significance of strengthening collaborative efforts to introduce new programs for small and medium-sized projects in both markets. The two ministers agreed on the importance of empowering the SMEs sector and facilitating the entry of their exports to foreign markets. Furthermore, they highlighted the importance of enabling Chilean entrepreneurs and startups to leverage …

Accommodation and food services activities sector posted a growth of 3.8%, with a value of AED 4.7 billion. Its contribution to the GDP reached 4.1%, driving economic growth by 0.2 percentage points. According to data from the Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai’s hotels maintained high occupancy levels, with an average hotel occupancy rate of 83%. Dubai welcomed 5.2 million international visitors during the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 11% compared to the same period in 2023. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, reiterated that the emirate’s economy continues to grow steadily and showcase robust economic indicators that exemplify the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The strength of Dubai’s economy is amply demonstrated in the 3.2% economic growth it achieved in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year, by adding more than AED 115 billion in GDP terms, Sheikh Hamdan said. His Highness said it is especially commendable that the emirate’s successes in this regard highlight the combined efforts and teamwork of various stakeholders to realise the objectives of the emirate’s comprehensive development plans for 2033, specially the Dubai economic Agenda (D33) and Dubai Social Agenda 2033, which serve to enhance overall standards of wellbeing and quality of life while consolidating Dubai’s standing as a global economic capital and its attractiveness as a destination for foreign investments. Sheikh Hamdan said: “Dubai is progressing in accordance with a clear vision whose …

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of Jordan, the Hashemite Commission for Disabled Soldiers, Amideast/Jordan, and Boeing have launched the “Disabled Soldiers Empowering Tourism” program. Training sessions have begun in Amman and Irbid, marking a significant step in preparing wounded, injured, and sick servicemembers and veterans for careers in Jordan’s tourism and aviation industries. His Royal Highness Prince Mired Bin Ra’ad, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hashemite Commission for Disabled Soldiers, reaffirmed his commitment to empowering wounded and injured soldiers: “Under the directive of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, and to act on His Majesty’s vision of achieving equality, social justice, and economic empowerment, this program is launched as a step towards progressing vital development goals. These goals include the rehabilitation, support, and integration of disabled soldiers to enable them to obtain job opportunities and economic prospects in the tourism sector. This aligns with our ongoing efforts at the Hashemite Commission for Disabled Soldiers to unify and consolidate efforts to build economic empowerment programs that meet the needs of various sectors and provide inclusive job opportunities.” Over the next months, 50 participants aged 20-45 will continue to engage in a comprehensive upskilling program, investing 220 hours in training. The injured servicemembers and veterans will not only enhance their English language proficiency but also cultivate essential soft and technical skills vital for success in tourism and aviation. With tailored training sessions addressing industry-specific demands, courtesy of active participation from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, participants will be well-equipped for transitioning into civilian careers. The program with Jordan’s Hashemite Commission for Disabled Soldiers builds upon Boeing’s ongoing partnership with the Invictus Games Foundation, supporting the recovery and …