Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) and Bahrain Information and eGovernment Authority  are coming together for a tourism survey aimed at further integrating cooperation between the two authorities to enhance the statistical tourism database in the Bahrain. It will also measure the actual level of contribution the tourism sector is making in the national economy in accordance with international recommendations. Several business are expected to benefit from the survey as it will provide inclusive data to help decision makers and the hospitality sector to understand the needs and desires of tourists and visitors. Furthermore, it will be a reference source for these sectors to base strategies aimed at fostering local tourism throughout the year. The CEO of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), Shaikh Khalid bin Humood Al Khalifa, recently met with the Bahrain Information and eGovernment Authority CEO, Mohammed Ali Al Qaed to discuss the survey. Commenting on the survey, CEO of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority Shaikh Khalid bin Humood Al Khalifa said, “We are pleased to work with the Bahrain Information and eGovernment Authority to obtain a more detailed view of the tourism sector in the country, especially tourism activities conducted by residents as it contributes to the overall development of the economy.” The Bahrain Information and eGovernment Authority also praised BTEA’s efforts and cooperation in this field: “We aim through this project to provide a manual for BTEA as it is considered a significant asset to assist implementing the Kingdom’s tourism development strategy. It also aims to put a structure in place that covers the different aspects of the tourism activity. We will ensure during the implementation phase of the project to follow the …

The coastal gateway of Krabi, Thailand, welcomed the inaugural Qatar Airways flight to arrive at its international airport from Doha, Qatar. The Airbus A330-200 was greeted by a water salute to usher in the new four times weekly service to Southern Thailand’s west coast. On board the inaugural flight was Qatar Airways Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific, Marwan Koleilat, and Thailand’s Ambassador to Qatar, His Excellency Soonthorn Chaiyindeepum. With the launch of this new service Qatar Airways has become the first Middle Eastern airline to provide scheduled services to Krabi, providing fast and convenient access to one of the world’s most popular tourism regions. Travellers can now enjoy year-round services to the incredible islands of Phi Phi National Park, while also enjoying other cultural experiences in the Southern Thai province famous for stunning land and seascapes, world-class diving, national parks and eco-tours.

By the Order of the Ministry of Interior dated November 30 B.E. 2559 (2016), starting from December 1, 2016 until February 28, 2017, Thailand will launch a temporary tourist visa fee exemption scheme and a temporary Visa on Arrival (VoA) fee reduction scheme. All applicants applying for Tourist Visa (single entry) to Thailand during the aforementioned period will be exempted from the visa fee and Visa on Arrival (VoA) fee will be decreased from THB 2,000 to THB 1,000 for applicants of the nationalities which are entitled to apply for the VoA at the designated immigration checkpoints.

A regional survey has found that most spend their holidays working instead of relaxing with their families. Only 1 in 10 are able to completely ‘turn off’ from work during a break and many can’t remember a holiday that hasn’t been interrupted by work. The Holiday Inn ‘Do More of What You Love’ survey, gathered insights from travellers across the Asia, Middle East and Africa region to explore what guests love to do and see during vacations with friends and family. Key findings indicate that in today’s ‘always on, always connected’ world, travellers find it challenging to truly disengage from work. Over half (56%) of the holiday-makers surveyed say they’ve either occasionally or frequently had to work whilst on holidays, and more than 55% of this group have had to cancel or postpone holidays because of urgent last minute work commitments. New findings highlight impact of working during family breaks and why travellers should be doing more of what they love: 46% of Middle East respondents have cancelled or postponed a break for work 20% of Middle East respondents can’t remember a holiday that was uninterrupted by work Less than 6% of Middle East respondents have taken a holiday uninterrupted by work Whether participants are male or female, parents or child-free, the findings show that taking a break is not easy to achieve: More men (57%) than women (42%) frequently work on holidays; More male than female respondents (56% and 43% respectively) said they have had to cancel or postpone holidays because something urgent at work has come up; Of those who have had to cancel or postpone a holiday due to work, child-free respondents were worst affected (63%); Some …

Rotana has announced plans to open seven new hotels in Dubai, four hotels in the capital Abu Dhabi and one in Ras Al Khaimah by the end of 2020. Six of the upcoming properties will be five-star hotels, with the remaining properties comprising of a mix of four and three star hotels and hotel apartments. Upon completion, the new hotels will add 4,360 keys to Rotana’s existing inventory, taking its fast expanding portfolio in the UAE to 44  properties, including 21 in Dubai and 17 in Abu Dhabi, with a room inventory of 11,782  (6,682 in Dubai alone and 5,100 in Abu Dhabi). The total value of the 12 upcoming properties managed by Rotana in the UAE is estimated at USD 1.7 billion. Omer Kaddouri, President & CEO of Rotana, comments: “The UAE is our home market and even as we pursue our global ambitions and expand our footprint into new geographic regions, the country continues to remain the fulcrum around which Rotana’s business strategy is developed and implemented. With us bringing to the local market 12 new properties within the next four years, we further express our commitment to supporting the UAE’s tourism ambitions and reaffirming our belief in the long-term prospects of the country’s hospitality industry. Next year, we will be introducing a number of five-star properties to the market, including the all-new Saadiyat Rotana Resort and villas in Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in Q4 2017. Ideal for both, business and leisure travellers, the resort will feature 354 upscale rooms and suites, 13 beach villas, a beach club and extensive conference facilities. Rotana already has a significant presence in the capital, and strengthening our portfolio with an …

Thailand-based hospitality company Dusit International has continued its global expansion by debuting its dusitD2 and DusitPrincess brands in the UAE and China, respectively. Catering to business and leisure travellers, the upscale dusitD2 Kenz Dubai is located next to Dubai Internet City Metro Station and offers easy access to major leisure and business destinations such as Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai international Airport, Dubai Marina and Dubai Mall. The property comprises 237 modern guest rooms and suites, three meeting rooms, a boardroom, a rooftop pool, spa, fitness centre, an all-day-dining restaurant specialising in Mediterranean cuisine, and a contemporary Thai restaurant. The opening comes on the back of positive response to Dusit’s distinctive hospitality in the UAE, where Dusit International also operates the Dusit Thani Dubai, Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi, Pearl Coast Premier Hotel Apartments, and Dusit Residence Dubai Marina. Three new properties are also in the pipeline. The openings are part of Dusit International’s strategy to expand its portfolio of international hotels while simultaneously delivering gracious, Thai-inspired hospitality to the world. Another key market in Dusit International’s expansion plans is China. To date, the company operates four properties in the country, but it already has 20 projects in the pipeline and many of these are slated to open within the next three years. Dusit International currently operates 29 hotels around the world and has 42 confirmed projects in the pipeline across four distinctive brands: Dusit Devarana, Dusit Thani, dusitD2, and DusitPrincess, all of which are inspired by the iconic hospitality and unique service artistry of Thailand.

From December 3-4, 2016, Middlesex University Dubai will host the 4th Annual Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA) Asia Pacific Conference (APAC).  The conference theme is Pushing the Boundaries: Driving Tourism Innovation & Creativity Through Research. The 4th TTRA APAC conference follows successful previous conferences in Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, and Tokyo. Dr. Cody Morris Paris, Deputy Director of Middlesex University Dubai and Conference Co-Chair, said this theme “resonates with the spirit of Dubai and the UAE, where there have been significant investments to fulfil a vision of an innovation-driven economy with tourism playing a central role.   Already one of the most visited cities in the world, home of the busiest international airport, and the birthplace of some of the world’s leading hospitality and tourism brands, Dubai is well on its way of reaching 20 million international visitors by 2020, the year of EXPO2020.” “We are coming to Dubai at the Far West of the TTRA Asia Pacific region.  Dubai has been a leader in tourism leveraging its geographic advantages as a natural hub with long term investment and vision for our industry,” stated Carolyn Childs, TTRA APAC President and Conference Co-Chair.  TTRA International was founded in 1970 to support the travel and tourism industry’s growth and success through a focus on the quality, value, effectiveness and use of research in travel marketing, planning and development.  Today TTRA continues to provide leadership for the global community of practitioners, educators, and users of travel research. The Conference will feature nearly 50 leading researchers from industry, government, and academia from more than 15 countries including Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Seychelles, UK, USA, Italy, France, Jamaica, Finland, and the United Arab Emirates.   The conference will …

Following an exhaustive review of the competitiveness of Dubai’s retail sector in terms of its global positioning as a ‘shopping destination’ for tourists, undertaken by Dubai Tourism, strategic recommendations spanning priority aspects of the industry value chain were developed in consultation with the Department of Economic Development and key government and private sector stakeholders earlier this year. Outcomes of the strategy cover initiatives to address consumer perceptions, pricing competitiveness, product-mix, experience enhancement, e-commerce and future proofing through digitisation and proactive innovation. His Excellency Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), said: “Dubai has been continuously growing its standing as a leader in global travel, ranked number four today with the highest average spend per tourist within the economy compared to any other city in the world. Beyond growing tourist volumes, one of the mandates of Dubai Tourism is to significantly enhance the economic value created across all travel related industries to our GDP. Retail is one of the core pillars of our destination proposition, and one that is a key driver of spend within the economy – hence the incredible support from the Department of Economic Development has been paramount to the success of this project. In undertaking this exercise, our aim was to work with the industry towards making Dubai the world’s leading destination for retail-tourism, attracting more traffic and fueling consumption across the shopping precincts, and ultimately accelerating domestic retail industry growth. It has been through exemplary collaboration and joint ownership between the private and public sector that DTCM has been able to deploy a comprehensive list of initiatives to be taken forth to implementation by relevant stakeholders. And …

dmg events – Middle East, Asia & Africa has announced that it will launch its successful hospitality event brand in the Philippines in 2017 to capitalise on the Southeast Asian country’s growing international tourism and hospitality portfolio. The Hotel Show Philippines will take place from August 2-5, 2017, in Metro Manila, while the flagship show will follow in September at the Dubai World Trade Centre in the UAE. The Hotel Show Philippines will be co-located with the World Food Expo (WOFEX) organised by PEPTarsus, the largest food show in the Philippines which will turn 17 next year. Together, they will provide the biggest food and hospitality platform in the country’s history, occupying its two largest venues, namely the World Trade Center Metro Manila and SMX Convention Center. Andy Stuart, Vice President, dmg events MEAA, said: “Tailored for the Philippine market, The Hotel Show Philippines will be based on dmg events’ successful The Hotel Show Dubai. The Hotel Show Dubai yearly gathers international exhibitors to showcase their hospitality products for restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels, to cite a few. Bringing the Dubai show’s undisputed legacy and giving it a local flavor, we are confident that the Philippine version of our highly popular brand will attract the same level of local and global interest and attention. The upcoming opening of our geo-cloned hospitality event in the Southeast Asian nation forms part of our expansion strategy aimed at widening our scope and establishing our presence in key international markets.” The launch comes at a time when there is much buzz around the commercial opportunities being presented in the Philippines’ tourist destinations, central business districts and metropolitan areas. Metro Manila has the largest hotel …

Dubai’s first National Day Super Sale kicks off December 1, with the new retail initiative promising to offer a memorable and rewarding shopping experience to residents and visitors during the UAE’s 45th National Day celebrations. The National Day Super Sale is organised by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), with the aim of boosting Dubai’s vibrant retail sector and further spreading the festive cheer on this joyous occasion. Many local, regional and international brands are participating in the citywide sale, which runs until Saturday, 3 December, and will surprise shoppers with amazing discounts from 30- 90 % on a diverse range of merchandise including apparel & fashion, footwear and leather accessories, cosmetics, jewellery, and much more. Saeed Mohammad Mesam Al Falasi, Executive Director, Retail and Strategic Alliances, DFRE, said: “The National Day Super Sale initiative falls within the framework of our strategy to develop plans aimed at further boosting the emirate’s retail sector. Running promotions that offer retailers numerous options to boost sales during this time of the year will further enhance the emirate’s appeal as a year-round shopping hub. No other destination in the region offers such a superb collection of fashion and lifestyle brands, all under one roof. As Dubai has set the highest standards in terms of brand mix and quality in the retail sector in the region, it is significant to note that we have the participation of leading retail groups in the UAE. This unique National Day initiative provides several opportunities to buy sought-after items at incredible prices – giving shoppers even more reasons to celebrate the UAE National Day.” The three-day …