Category Archives: Govt

The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) revealed that the sector’s contribution to Egypt’s GDP grew almost 24% last year to reach a record E£953BN – nearly 21% ahead of the previous peak. The data also shows that across sector jobs, international and domestic visitor spending, the sector fully recovered last year to reach record-breaking levels. Domestic visitor spending grew almost 9% year-on-year to reach more than E£328.5BN, while spending by international visitors saw a strong 38.5% year-on-year growth last year, to reach E£470.4BN. Jobs supported by the sector grew almost 10% to reach more than 2.5MN, representing one in 12 jobs across Egypt. Although this is strong recovery, it continues to lag previous record job numbers for the sector, set 15 years ago in 2008, when job numbers reached 3.7MN. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said; “Egypt’s Travel & Tourism sector has made an extraordinary recovery, surging past previous records, highlighting the sector’s resilience and its vital role in Egypt’s economy. “The Egyptian Government recognises the value of Travel & Tourism to the Egyptian economy and jobs, placing it at the forefront of the agenda, with a real focus on investment.” This year, the sector’s GDP contribution is forecast to reach almost E£988BN, accounting for 8.1% of Egypt’s economy. International visitor spending is anticipated to grow 6.2% to reach just under E£500BN this year, with domestic visitor spending expected to reach over E£340BN. Sector jobs are projected to grow 5.7% to reach 2.67MN, to account for almost one in 11 jobs in Egypt, although still below the previous peak.With the right government support, WTTC is forecasting that the sector could grow its annual GDP contribution to E£1.57TN by 2034, representing …

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai has signed a cooperation agreement with Dubai Airports to enhance cooperation between the two sides, provide the best services to passengers and position Dubai Airports as a leader in offering premium services among international airports. The signing ceremony was attended by HE Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director General of the GDRFA, and Paul Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Airports. HE Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri said: “The agreement will significantly support GDRFA’s strategy designed to enhance cooperation with key partners and ensure the provision of integrated and effective services to passengers at Dubai Airports.” Al Marri emphasised that GDRFA is committed to offering top-notch services by adopting the latest technologies and best international practices, adding that the partnership with Dubai Airports is a significant step towards achieving the vision of making Dubai Airports among the best in the world by enhancing the travel experience and providing a safe and seamless environment for all travellers. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said: “This agreement marks another significant step in our ongoing efforts to solidify Dubai’s position as a world-leading aviation hub. Our partnership with GDRFA is essential for providing a seamless and efficient journey for all travellers at our airports. The agreement allows us to harness cutting-edge technology to streamline processes and further enhance operational efficiency, aligning perfectly with Dubai’s strategic aspirations for its aviation and tourism industries.” The partnership is set to upgrade the process of inquiring about registration at the smart gates via the website by providing a link on the Dubai Airports website, which would enable passengers to check their registration status in the …

Trump International Resort is expected to be constructed in Oman with 140 hotel units, suites, villas, residential apartments, and a golf course. The project will further include international restaurants and places for meetings and conferences. His Highness Sayyid Dhi Yazan bin Haitham Al Said, Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, sponsored today at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel the launch ceremony of the Trump International Resort, which is being held within the “Aida” project in the Yiti area in the state of Muscat. Yousef Al Shalash, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development Company, explained that the project will provide a high level of hospitality and hotel services in the Sultanate of Oman, noting that the partnership with the Trump Group will add an aesthetic touch through its global expertise. On the other hand, Ziad Al-Shaar, CEO of Dar Global, the developer of the “Aida” project, indicated that the project will be available for investment, as investors can purchase hotel units (villas and hotel apartments), adding that the project will also include international restaurants and places for meetings and conferences. It is noteworthy that the “Aida” project comes within the general plan of the Yiti integrated tourism project in the state of Muscat, and is being held in partnership between the Omran Group and the Saudi company “Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development.”

In keeping their commitment to the digital transformation UN Tourism partnered with UAE to integrate an e-platform for the governing body meetings. Under an agreement announced during the 121st session of the UN Tourism Executive Council, the United Arab Emirates will sponsor the implementation and maintenance of a Mobile Application integrated platform. The platform includes an electronic voting system for the Organization that would be available at the meetings of its Governing Bodies (the General Assembly and the Executive Council) and its subsidiary organs. It also offers other features such as documentation management, online registration process and interactive communication between participants, among other features. The adoption of the new electronic platform sponsored by UAE further underscores UN Tourism’s commitment to the digital transformation of every part of the tourism ecosystem, as well as its ongoing focus on promoting innovation and modernizing its processes. UN Tourism will make use of a new electronic voting system for the meetings of its key statutory meetings and other meetings of its Governing Bodies.  

Spain tourism authority announced a significant rise in the number of visitors coming from the GCC as they welcomed 430,000, while the number of visitors from Saudi Arabia increased by 92% and from the UAE by 16% compared to the previous year. Spanish tourism authority Turespana also shared the latest recommendations revealed by the Turespana campaign and other tourist places outside of Madrid, Barcelona and Andalusia to spend a great summer visiting the country. With summer approaching, high temperatures and longer daylight hours offering more opportunities to explore the city, there’s no better place to spend summer than Spain. The country combines festivals, food and hidden gems around every corner, offering a variety of experiences beyond the traditional tourist points of Madrid, Barcelona and Andalusia. Whether you’re travelling with family, couples or alone, the country offers an amazing mix of diverse adventures. For tourists from the GCC in particular, rugged mountains, desirable coastlines and desert-like areas, as well as two groups of beautiful islands – the Balearic and Canary Islands – offer the perfect getaway for enjoyable cultural holidays. There is more to explore in the country, than many imagine. The Balearic Islands archipelago is located off the east coast of Spain and consists of the islands of Mallorca, Ibiza, Formentera and Menorca. Mallorca features mountain ranges ideal for cycling and hiking, as well as boutique hotels set amidst lush countryside gardens, and the city’s rooftop bars, making you want to explore every corner. Valde Musa, Soller, Pollença , and Puerto Portals is one of the most loved destinations for luxury holiday seekers. Ibiza, or “White Island”, is famous for its nightclubs, sunsets and tranquil Boho atmosphere, but it’s not …

The Maldives’ President Dr Mohammed Muizzu is taking part in the The Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4). SIDS4 is scheduled to be held from 27 to 30 May 2024 in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda. This year’s theme for the conference is “Charting the course toward resilient prosperity”, discussing the various development challenges faced by small island developing states. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) were recognised as a distinct group of developing countries facing specific social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities at the United Nations (UN) Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit, held in June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In essence, they were formally recognised as a special case both for their environment and development. This was when the SIDS programme was established within the UN. Today, SIDS comprise a distinct group of 37 UN Member States and 20 Associate Members of the UN Regional Commissions spread across three geographical regions. His Excellency President Dr Mohammed Muizzu engages in the interactive dialogue under the theme “Revitalising SIDS Economies for Accelerated and Sustainable Growth” along with Anders Adlercreutz, Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering of Finland. Maldives’ Foreign Minister Zameer will deliver closing remarks at the Private Sector Roundtable on 28 May 2024 while Environment Minister Thoriq and Housing Minister Haidar will be delivering interventions at the interactive dialogues. Both the Environment and Housing Minister will also participate in a number of side events. The majority of SIDS member states depend on the tourism industry as their main economic backbone, employment opportunities, and foreign exchange. At the SIDS4 conference, significant discussions will be held focussing on strategies to alleviate …

Speaking with TravTalkME at ITB China, Amr Elkady CEO Egypt Tourism Authority shared that 2023 was a good year for Egypt as they received 230,000 visitors and they are looking at closing 2024 with 300,000 visitors from China. He reiterated that the Chinese leisure market has grown exponentially over the past few years and increase of air connectivity between the two destinations is one of the main reasons for the increase of travellers from China. Elkady shared that there are many programmes rolled out at present to ensure that there are more visitors inbound to Egypt and among them is a special incentive programme for the aviation sector, where if you fly from any destination to any of the airports in Egypt (apart from Cairo) the airline receives a cash incentive. Both B2B and B2C are kept updated with the latest facilities, programmes and interests to ensure that they make the most of the opportunities which lie ahead. Apart from the leisure travellers Egypt tourism is working on MICE and corporate travel especially from China, Elkady shared,”it is important that both parties meet the right contacts for MICE and corporate travel, as a tourism board we are looking at educating and providing the rightful platforms for the sectors. However, this will take longer but it will be a sustainable process when it comes to the market.”

The UAE has been ranked first in the region and 18th globally in the World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) 2024, climbing seven places from its 25th global ranking in 2019. H.E. Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the Emirates Tourism Council, emphasized that the UAE tourism, thanks to the forward-looking vision and directives of the country’s wise leadership, continues to excel at the regional and international levels, achieving outstanding results that reflect the country’s leading position in the global tourism and travel landscape. These accomplishments contribute significantly to achieving the targets of the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031, which aims to further the country’s position as the best tourist destination in the world by the next decade. H.E. said: “We expect our national tourism sector to continue its growth in 2024 in light of the pioneering tourism projects and initiatives that are being implemented by the country. This will be further supported by the UAE’s sophisticated infrastructure built in accordance with global best practices and outstanding tourism products and services that provide a unique experience for visitors and tourists from around the world.” H.E. added that the national efforts to formulate resilient tourism policies and enhance the sector’s contribution to the national GDP are continuing in line with ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision. H.E. Hanan Ahli, Managing Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre (FCSC), commended the success of the UAE in strengthening its position on the global tourism map as one of the most attractive and safe travel destinations. This is the result of the implementation of an effective and comprehensive strategy by the UAE under the directives of its …

The second day of the Future Aviation Forum 2024 witnessed the signing of 102 memoranda of understanding (MoUs), agreements, and deals, with a total value exceeding SAR75 billion. Held under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, organized by the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) in Riyadh. The forum exceeded expectations, as the agreements encompassed various sectors of civil aviation, such as aviation services, aircraft purchase orders, cargo and logistics services, advanced air mobility, human resources development, information technology, maintenance, repair, and overhaul. The forum continued its proceedings for the second consecutive day with the participation of over 30 ministers, 77 leaders of civil aviation authorities, CEOs of airlines worldwide, and 7,000 aviation industry experts and leaders from more than 120 countries. It focused on human capabilities, the future of the sector, collaboration opportunities, civil aviation organization networks, sustainability, innovation, technology, and business opportunities within the sector. The forum saw the GACA launching the first edition of the Kingdom’s aviation sector report, which highlighted the civil aviation sector’s contribution to the Kingdom’s economy, amounting to $53 billion and providing 958,000 jobs across various regions. The GACA also hosted the first aviation investment exhibition aimed at facilitating investment in the Saudi aviation sector, with a focus on the advanced air mobility pavilion being among the exhibition’s prominent pavilions. “The Future Aviation Forum has achieved remarkable success by bringing together aviation industry leaders and experts from around the world to discuss the future of civil aviation and develop innovative solutions to its key challenges,” said Minister of Transport and Logistic Services and Chairman of GACA Board of Directors, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser. …

The importance of the unified tourist visa for the GCC countries, which is scheduled to come into force at the end of this year, and its role in contributing to supporting the process of sustainable and comprehensive economic development, was highlighted at the Regional Committee for the Middle East of the United Nations Tourism Organisation in Qatar. The meeting included constructive discussions on tourism investments and means of financing, by stressing that Qatar is characterized by having an attractive investment environment for local and foreign investors, thanks to economic stability capable of withstanding challenges and achieving growth in GDP. Qatar has seen the establishment of more than 800 new businesses and the implementation of 135 FDI projects with a total value of $29.78 billion. In addition, Qatar Tourism is keen to achieve service excellence in all aspects of the tourism sector through close cooperation with public and private sector institutions in the country, which contributed to providing an attractive and exceptional experience for visitors. Qatar Tourism, chaired by HE President of Qatar Tourism Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, is participating in the fiftieth meeting of the Regional Committee for the Middle East of the United Nations Tourism Organization, which was held in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, and will continue until the 24th of this month. At the end of the meeting yesterday, it was announced that Qatar will host the next meeting of the Committee in its fifty-first edition. The selection of Doha to host the next meeting is an affirmation of Qatar’s role as a regional and global hub in cultural, economic and political exchange, thus enhancing cooperation between countries and contributing to the development of international relations, thus …