Category Archives: Govt

As part of its endeavours to enhance cooperation with various stakeholders and achieve comprehensive tourism development objectives, the Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group) signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Office of Al Dakhiliyah Governor to develop several tourism projects in numerous tourist destinations in the governorate. The agreement was signed by H.E. Hilal bin Saeed Al Hajri, Governor of Al Dhakiliyah, and Eng. Mohammed Abu-Bakar Al Ghassani, Vice Chairman of OMRAN Group, in presence of senior officials from both parties in dusitD2 Naseem Resort, Jabal Akhdar. OMRAN Group continues to explore tourism development prospects in collaboration with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism and various stakeholders. As part of the National Tourism Strategy 2040, ongoing efforts are being made to increase the tourism offerings in the Sultanate and enhance the sector’s competitiveness. By introducing novel experiences offered by Al Dakhilyiah governorate through various projects, OMRAN Group continues to foster the tourism sector in the governorate since it is considered as one of the main tourist destinations. Furthermore, it strives to promote qualitative experiences in the group’s projects and investments in the governorate, including Alila Al Jabal Al Akhdar, dusitD2 Naseem Resort Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Nizwa fort, Al Hoota Cave, Harat Al Bilad and Bahla Fort and Oasis.  

It was shared by the Saudi Tourism Authority that it welcomes the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs introduction of a new multi-entry visa to Saudi, available to visitors holding the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Hayya Card. The Hayya Card is required for all World Cup attendees and provides entry into Qatar and the stadiums. Saudi is a gateway to the World Cup and home to destinations waiting to be explored. Holders of the Hayya Card will be able to apply for the new visa online and book a trip to the authentic home of Arabia with confidence, before, during and after the World Cup. Visas will allow a 60-day stay in Saudi beginning 10 days before the tournament. The announcement encourages first time and returning visitors alike to explore destinations in close proximity to the World Cup. Saudi is a short hop away making it a practical and convenient destination for World Cup attendees to visit or make a home base during the games. Saudi is expecting to welcome football fans from around the world. Beyond proximity, travelers are looking to visit Saudi for authentic Arabian culture, adventure and to round out their experience while in the region. Saudi will be hosting a dynamic programme of entertainment events including MDLBeast, Red Sea Film Festival, Riyadh Season and Winter at Tantoura in AlUla, all of which take place during the World Cup. To increase air connectivity, Saudia will be operating 40 shuttle flights daily to Doha from both Jeddah and Riyadh, increased to 60 daily flights on the Saudi team’s match days. Doha is only a 90-minute flight from Riyadh. The Salwa Border Crossing between Saudi and Qatar will also …

At an exclusive interview with Abdullah Al-Zahrani, Brand and Marketing Executive Director The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) with TravTalk ME it was revealed that 2023 will witness a soft opening of the destination and by early 2024 will complete its first phase with a total of 3000 keys in terms of hotels within the project. Al-Zahrani reiterated, “Next year, The Red Sea will soft launch its first phase and by early 2024 will include 3,000 rooms, an 18-hole championship golf course, luxury marina, and retail and entertainment facilities on a fully operational hub island. By then, The Red Sea International Airport (RSI) will also be operational. First hotels to open at The Red Sea in 2023 will include St. Regis Red Sea Resort with 90 keys, Nujuma, A Ritz Carlton Reserve with 82 keys, and Six Senses Southern Dunes, Red Sea with 76 keys. Upon completion in 2030, The Red Sea is expected to host up to one million visitors each year with 8,000 rooms across 50 hotels, and more than 1,000 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. The RSI will also be fully operational, providing a luxury seamless experience where sustainability is embedded in every aspect.”

According to Greek tourism pages, cooperation in tourism topped the agenda at the recent visit between the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis  and Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha. Indicative of the positive climate between the two countries, earlier this year the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) and Qatar Airways announced a joint campaign to promote Greece as a tourism destination in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Last week, the GNTO announced that it had partnered with online travel marketplace Wego to attract more travelers to Greece from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Meanwhile, Qatar Airways operates three weekly flights from Doha to Santorini, the third destination served in Greece by Qatar Airways together with Athens and Mykonos. The two leaders agreed to further tighten bilateral ties and deepen cooperation in other areas as well, including science, culture and sports. Mitsotakis went on to add that thanks to Greece’s strategic position in the area, it can become a bridge between Qatar and Europe and serve as a point of entry for energy for the European market, both through its station in Revythousa and Alexandroupolis. Lastly, he reiterated that Greece was a reliable partner and a pillar of stability in the region, particularly after the country’s exit from enhanced surveillance status this month, which opens a new chapter for Greece and paves the way for more investment opportunities.

For the fifth consecutive time Tourism Malaysia joins the Gulf Travel Show 5.0, this time as Platinum partner. The event is set to kick off on 28th and 29th September 2022 under the theme of sustainable tourism. Gulf Travel Show (GTS) is the only event which was built in with a purpose. When it first started out just after the pandemic whilst most borders were still closed, it gave the travel, tourism and hospitality fraternity an opportunity to ensure that confidence is restored in the minds of the people passionate about the industry. It was also a tool which connected online GCC buyers with exhibitors from across the globe. The fifth edition or GTS 5.0 demonstrates its commitment to uphold its social responsibility to ensure less carbon emissions yet bring all players to the table and learn and study the stakes, the many opportunities to make things right after a bout of almost two and a half years of pandemic era. Mirza Ghalib – Deputy Director, Tourism Malaysia – Dubai, “Malaysia is thrilled to welcome back Middle East tourists to visit and experience our country again. It is a timely opportunity for us to network with travel agents and tour operator partners from the Gulf region. As the platinum partner of GTS 5.0, Tourism Malaysia is having its own virtual pavilion with 15 booths of Malaysian delegates consisting of tour operator partners, hotels, and product owners.” Some of the partners from Tourism Malaysia expressed their comments as well. Sam Poh Choo, Director of Business Development & Marketing, The Taaras Beach Resort & Spa and Berjaya Tioman Resort “We look forward to creating awareness in the Middle East market for The …

Speaking with Travel TV at the 77th year of Independence celebrations of Indonesia in the consulate in Dubai, Hon. Candra Negara, Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in Dubai stated that this year is a special year as the borders have opened and they are focused on the “10 New Balis” project, to promote tourism from the UAE to Indonesia. The “10 New Balis” includes Borobudur Temple (Central Java), Belitung (Sumatra), Mount Bromo (East Java), Labuan Bajo (East Nusa Tenggara), Lake Toba (North Sumatra), Thousand Islands (Jakarta), Mandalika (West Nusa Tenggara), Wakatobi (Southeast Sulawesi), Tanjung Lesung (Banten), and Morotai (North Maluku). Hon. Candra Negara, Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in Dubai reiterated, “As we speak, we have an interesting promotion in JBR where we promote the Jakarta area, the diversified business city with lots of tourism offerings for both business and leisure travellers. The city of Jakarta with its rich cultural, heritage and especially the diving spots, because in Jakarta area there are over 40 small islands called thousand islands because there are so many clustered they are promoting it to the Emiratis and and expats in the JBR area. In Indonesia itself, we are trying to promote the tourism destination in 10 priority areas. We are now creating “10 new Balis” they spread from the Western part of Indonesia Sumatra, close to Malaysia and Singapore to the Eastern part of Indonesia in Papua. This eastern part is very important as it offers the best diving spots in the world called The Raja Ampat Islands, four hour flight from Jakarta, worth a visit to explore it’s beautiful virgin diving spot and nature. We are also looking at …

Dubai attracted 7.12 million international overnight visitors between January and June 2022, recording more than 183% growth in visitors compared to the 2.52 million tourists who visited Dubai during the same period in 2021, according to latest data from Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). This positive trend in H1 2022 places the city firmly on track to achieve its tourism goals for 2022 and beyond, and further reinforces its position as an international destination of choice. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, said: “The vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the city of the future and the world’s best place to live, work and invest in has resulted in a resurgence of Dubai’s tourism sector. The growth in tourists reflects the resilience and dynamism of the emirate’s economy. His Highness’s vision has helped Dubai create a strong and stable economic foundation and a dynamic business ecosystem, enabling it to become a leading global hub for diverse sectors. The rapid rise in international tourist arrivals puts Dubai on track to achieve its ambitious target of becoming the world’s most visited destination. In the years ahead, Dubai will continue to develop itself further as a destination that offers compelling value to international travellers.” The number of tourists recorded in H1 2022 was close to the numbers achieved in the first six months of 2019, which saw 8.36 million tourists arriving in Dubai. The emirate’s ability to quickly return to near pre-pandemic tourism levels is even …

In a recent interview with Tracy Lanza Group Head of Global Brand Development at The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), shared that the development of The Red Sea Project will be in two phases, one to be completed by end of 2023 and second to be completed by 2030. She reiterated, “we’re looking forward to welcoming our first guests early next year. Following that, the first phase will be fully completed and operational by the end of 2023. It will include 16 resorts for a total of 3,000 keys, 18-hole championship golf course, luxury marina, and retail and entertainment facilities. Phase two is scheduled for completion in 2030, and will include 50 resorts with 8,000 keys, and 1,000+ residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites.” Commenting further that the work is on track in order to welcome guests, “We’re fortunate to be able to partner with some of the world’s most iconic hotel brands, including EDITION, St Regis, Fairmont, Raffles, SLS, Grand Hyatt, Intercontinental, Six Senses, Jumeirah, Miraval, Rosewood and Ritz Carlton Reserve. Some of these will be able to host their first guests by early next year, while others will open their doors in the months following.” In keeping with the Vision 2030 of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lanza shared, “The project supports the Saudi vision through the development of a brand-new tourism industry that has not existed in the Kingdom before. It will open the door for thousands of young Saudis to pursue new careers and opportunities. We expect to create up to 70,000 new jobs and contribute as a much as 22 billion Saudi riyals (USD 5.3 billion) to the nation’s GDP.”

In order to change business as usual, the city’s design will be completely digitized, and the construction industrialized to a large degree by significantly advancing construction technologies and manufacturing processes. The announcement of THE LINE’s designs is a continuation of NEOM’s progress in the development of its flagship projects such as OXAGON, its reimagined manufacturing and innovation city; and TROJENA, its global mountain tourism destination that will offer the Arabian Gulf’s first outdoor skiing; as well as the launch of two of NEOM’s subsidiaries: ENOWA, its energy, water and hydrogen company; and the NEOM Tech & Digital Company. His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Chairman of the NEOM Board of Directors, announced the designs of THE LINE, a civilizational revolution that puts humans first, providing an unprecedented urban living experience while preserving the surrounding nature. In January last year, His Royal Highness launched the initial idea and vision of the city that redefines the concept of urban development and what cities of the future should look like. The designs of THE LINE embody how urban communities will be in the future in an environment free from roads, cars and emissions. It will run on 100% renewable energy and prioritize people’s health and well-being over transportation and infrastructure as in traditional cities. It puts nature ahead of development and will contribute to preserving 95% of NEOM’s land. The announcement reveals the most important characteristics of THE LINE, which is only 200 meters wide, 170 kilometers long and 500 meters above sea level. THE LINE will eventually accommodate 9 million residents and will be built on a footprint of 34 square kilometers, which is unheard of when compared to …

The UAE’s flagship racecourse, Meydan, will commence its 2022/2023 season on Friday, 4 November with the first of 21 fixtures, the Dubai Racing Cub announced. This season will see an increase of visitors from across the globe. The events at Meydan Racecourse will culminate in the 2023 edition of the $30.5million Dubai World Cup meeting, one of the world’s biggest horse racing tournaments, set to be held on Saturday, 25 March. Commenting on the announcement, Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Racing Club, thanked His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nayhan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Emirates Racing Authority for the support he has extended to Dubai Racing Cub’s initiatives. “We are delighted to announce an enhanced programme for the 2022/23 racing season in Meydan,” said Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmook. “We thank HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed and the ERA team for their support, which has enabled us to enrich the fixture list and create a dynamic new programme that offers greater opportunities for international horses to compete here during the Carnival. “We are also grateful for the support of our local horsemen and women, as well as our loyal racegoers, and look forward to welcoming them back to our iconic Meydan Racecourse for the first of our ‘Racing In Dubai’ meetings on 4 November.” “Dubai continues to introduce initiatives to boost the sector and revitalise the global community of horse owners, trainers and other equestrian professionals. With its deeply-rooted traditions in horse riding, racing, breeding and various equestrian activities, Dubai also continues to be focal point for the global equestrian fraternity,” he added. The build-up to …