The Levant: Lessons to learn and looking ahead
Lebanon’s untapped tourism potential, what the country can learn from Jordan’s success and the need for a joined-up approach when it comes to marketing and messaging were among the topics that Hospitality News asked industry experts to expand upon following their participation at a high-profile, sectoral event recently in Beirut. Here’s what they said…
Manama hotels strike ‘black gold’
Tough trading conditions have been the norm for the Middle East hotel industry over the past five years. A drop in oil prices that began in 2014 inevitably led to an economic slowdown for oil-dependent countries, including Bahrain. Kostas Nikolaidis, Middle East & Africa executive, tracks the kingdom’s early stages of revival and shares his thoughts on where it goes from here
Three-minute online visa system is linked to purchase of tickets for Jeddah Season events
Once visitors buy a ticket, they can get an instant e-Visa simply by logging on to www.sharek.sa and following the step-by-step instructions.
Middle East travelers prefer London, Paris and Rome for their summer trips
Asian destinations are also inching up the list for Middle Eastern travelers, with Bali, and Tokyo joining Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur in this year’s top 10.
D-Marin Dubai begins managing three marinas in Dubai
The project will mark the first step in a mission to turn Dubai into an international destination of preference for luxury yacht owners.
Miral partners with Plug and Play ADGM to nurture innovation among Travel & Hospitality startups
Plug and Play and Miral’s program will commence in Q3 of 2019, with the first batch of selected startups residing at ADGM.
The Middle East leads growth in international tourism
Confidence in global tourism has started to pick up again after slowing down at the end of 2018, according to the latest UNWTO Confidence Index survey.
Beirut and Cairo lead hotel occupancy growth
Lebanon is set to prepare for a promising summer tourism season with indications of improved tourist volumes after the travel ban lift by Saudi Arabia. The UAE is also expected to lift its travel ban.
1.3 million hotel guests in Abu Dhabi in Q1 2019
Results driven by a boost in average room revenue, ARR, which increased by almost 15 percent coupled with an occupancy rate of 79 percent.
Over three million tourists visited Oman in 2018, half of them from the GCC
The number of hotels also grew by 12 percent in 2017-18, resulting in a eight percent growth in the amount of rooms available in the country.
