It is reported that Deyaar Development has signed a deal with hotel operator Millennium & Copthorne to operate three hospitality developments in Dubai spanning 953 units. The Dubai-based developer said in a statement that the move is part of its ongoing drive to support Dubai’s tourism and hospitality infrastructure needs. The strategic alliance with Millennium & Copthorne spans three of Deyaar’s current developments – a hotel and serviced apartments development in Al Barsha next to Mall of the Emirates, luxury residences at The Atria in Business Bay and premium serviced apartments at Montrose in Dubai Science Park. All three developments are scheduled for completion from late 2017 to early 2018, Deyaar said. Millennium & Copthorne will manage and operate the developments’ hotel and serviced apartments, as well as provide consultancy services during the construction phase of the projects. Deyaar’s CEO Saeed Al Qatami said: “The new developments will provide convenient overnight, short-term and long-term hospitality options for business and leisure travellers to Dubai. We have chosen our locations based on convenient access to the major business and transport nodes, including malls, metro stations and offices.” Ali Hamad Lakhraim Alzaabi, president and CEO, Millennium & Copthorne MEA, added: “We are delighted to partner with Deyaar, a company of excellence in the real estate sector, to bring these exciting developments to the market. The projects will add to the breadth of Dubai’s hospitality offering, boosting the number of international standard, high quality hotel rooms and serviced apartment accommodation to meet rising demand,” he said.

Seychelles becomes Turkish Airlines’ third Island in the Vanilla Islands Group, with the addition of three weekly return flights to Mahe, Seychelles. Already flying to 48 destinations in Africa, Turkish Airlines will increase its flight network by adding Seychelles as another destination in the continent, bringing the total number of destinations that Europe’s best airline serves to 243 worldwide, and 49 in Africa. With the addition of Seychelles, Turkish Airlines, the airline that flies to more countries than any other airline by serving 117 countries will promise a great experience for users of the new route from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with a one stop in Istanbul, Turkey. Three weekly flights will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and the passengers will depart from Istanbul at 01:05 on board TK748 arriving at 10:55, with a return service on TK749 departing from Seychelles at 12:25 to arrive in Istanbul at 18:10 on the same days.

It was announced that Eid holiday traffic will top 1 million passengers at Dubai International over the next four days as travellers seek a quick escape as summer draws to a close. During the Eid break passengers coming through the airport will be able to enjoy performances by African drummers, jugglers and dabka dancers, while virtual reality gaming enthusiasts will have the opportunity to try their hand at finding Pedro, DXB’s ‘resident penguin’. There will be games across the terminals and prizes will be handed out to hundreds of lucky winners.  In addition to the festivities, the airport is also implementing detailed operational plans, boosting staff levels, intensifying communication efforts with it business partners to ensure a smooth operation. Dubai Airports has also issued travel tips for passengers to help ease their flow through the facility during the holiday travel season. Smart Travel Tips Be sure to check which airport and terminal you are departing from/arriving into beforehand. Passengers can confirm with their airline or check www.dubaiairports.ae Arrive early at the airport. It is best to leave a minimum of three hours for check-in and passport control. Take into consideration daily rush hours and available routes in calculating your commuting time to the airport. Leave extra time for your journey to the airport as the roads will be very busy. Please say your goodbyes at home. Check with the airline in advance for information on your baggage allowance. Irrespective of the allowance, a single unit of baggage weighing more than 32kgs will not be accepted at check-in. You should expect to be charged for baggage in excess of the limit set by your respective airline. It is always simpler to …

Marriott International, Inc. has continued to pursue an ambitious growth strategy across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region announcing an impressive 14 new property signings so far in 2016. The signings will add to Marriott International’s current operating portfolio of 147 hotels in 20 countries across the Middle East and Africa, with the company also confirmed to open 11 new properties across the region by the end of this year. The latest collection of signings will see Marriott International expand its Middle East footprint by eight properties across the UAE, Egypt, Qatar and Kuwait, encompassing the Marriott Hotels, Courtyard by Marriott, Marriott Executive Apartments, Residence Inn by Marriott and Protea Hotels by Marriott brands. The company has also announced further growth to its African pipeline with the signing of six new properties under the JW Marriott Hotels, Autograph Collection and Protea Hotels by Marriott brands. Within the Middle East, Marriott International currently operates a total of 40 properties spanning eight brands. Today’s announcement will add a further five properties to Marriott International’s UAE presence as well as one property each in Egypt, Qatar and Kuwait. In Africa, Marriott International’s acquisition of Protea Hospitality Holding in 2014 is continuing to yield positive returns as the company signs a further six hotels in 2016 adding 1,040 rooms to its Africa pipeline. That pipeline will include two properties in Uganda and one property each in Nairobi, Botswana, Zambia and South Africa. Amongst the signed properties is a JW Marriott brand hotel in Nairobi and an Autograph Collection hotel in South Africa. Aside from the 14 new property signings in 2016, Marriott International has also confirmed that 11 new properties are set to …

Louvre Hotels Group, one of the largest hospitality groups in the world, has announced further expansion of its regional portfolio with today’s opening of a new 3-star hotel in the UAE – the Tulip Inn Ras Al Khaimah. Located in the heart of the city, with convenient proximity to the central business district and just minutes from Ras Al Khaimah’s famed beachfront locations, Tulip Inn offers 104 spacious and modern rooms and suites along with state-of-the-art business facilities and an elegant selection of restaurants and cafes to meet the needs of families as well as business travellers. Tulip Inn Ras Al Khaimah offers guests comfortable and well-equipped rooms and a comprehensive range of business facilities including three meeting rooms equipped with the latest audio and video technologies, complemented by top-quality dining options and impeccable service. With facilities and services that go beyond segment standards, Tulip Inn Ras Al Khaimah is poised to enhance the midscale value proposition as guests now have a modern and affordable hotel that ticks all the boxes for a comfortable stay. Tulip Inn Ras Al Khaimah is the first of many ventures between Louvre Hotels Group and Action Hotels Limited; one of the pioneers in the midscale hospitality sector, with already the Tulip Inn Jeddah confirmed to open soon among others in the pipeline.

Visits of GCC nationals to Qatar continued to increase in August, with year-to-date arrivals growing by 7 per cent compared to the same period in 2015, a Qatar Tourism Authority report has shown. Overall, total visitor arrivals in the month of August increased by 2 per cent compared to August 2015. The growth in year-to-date (January to end of August) visitor arrivals from the GCC was dominated by visits from nationals of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which increased by 9 per cent and 11 per cent respectively, compared to 2015. Visits from Bahrain nationals were up as well by 2 per cent; while visits from nationals of Oman and Kuwait were down by -6 per cent and -1 per cent respectively. Meanwhile, visitors entering the country on the Qatar-Oman tourist visa increased by 2 per cent year-to-date in comparison to the same period in 2015. Visitors who are nationals of the Americas also increased by 6 per cent between January and August 2016 compared to the same period in 2015. August is typically an off-peak month with declines in visitor arrivals compared to the rest of the year. The increase in arrivals this August, compared to August of last year, comes after efforts to incentivize travel to Qatar through Qatar Summer Festival promotions and entertainment activities. These included special packages from 56 hotel establishments, shopping promotions in malls across Qatar, and entertainment events throughout the month, including the Doha Comedy Festival. QTA projections point to further modest increases in visitor arrivals in the coming months, supported by September’s Eid Celebrations in Qatar and the docking of the first cruise ship of the season in October.  

Responding to strong customer feedback, seven-year-old Yellow Boats will run a week of brand new Night Tours in October. The Yellow Boats Night Tours will run from Monday, October 24 to Monday, October 31 across both cities, embarking from dedicated departure points at Marina Walk in Dubai and Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. The Dubai Night Tour will depart daily at 6 pm, heading out from the glittering Dubai Marina as the sun goes down. The 90-minute trip then cruises around Palm Jumeirah, offering a glimpse of its luxurious villas and world-famous five-star hotels, including a unique front-row, fairytale view of Atlantis The Palm. Then, it’s on to the Dubai’s iconic seven-star Burj Al Arab, beautifully illuminated at dusk, with plenty of time for photo stops and interactive commentary from The Yellow Boats passionate skipper team. The Abu Dhabi Night Tour will depart daily at 5.45pm. The 60-minute trip offers its crew a journey through the ever-changing city skyline and the many contrasting, must-see attractions the UAE capital has to offer – which are of course all the more magical by moonlight. This exciting and informative tour travels around Heritage Village and along the Abu Dhabi Corniche, stopping at the timeless Fisherman’s Village and man-made Lulu Island, before cruisng back to the beautiful Emirates Palace Marina. The Yellow Boats Dubai Night Tours and The Yellow Boats Abu Dhabi Night Tours replicate the ticket structure of the multi award-winning company’s much-loved daytime tours, with no price increase. With limited dates available in the approach to Halloween, it is advised to book early to avoid disappointment. The Yellow Boats Dubai Night Tours run from Monday October 24 to Monday October 31, departing …

As the excitement begins, Dubai Parks and Resorts announced the daily ticket prices for the theme park destination which will open on October 31 this year. Pre-purchased standard adult tickets will range from AED 240 to AED 330 for a one-day single park ticket, and will range from AED 480 to AED 890 for a multiple parks multiple days’ ticket. This unique destination is comprised of three theme parks – Bollywood Parks Dubai, MOTIONGATE Dubai, and LEGOLAND Dubai, together with the LEGOLAND Water Park. Guests will have access to nearly 100 exciting rides, attractions and shows on opening day at the destination located on Sheikh Zayed Road opposite the Palm Jebel Ali in Dubai.The gateway to the destination is Riverland Dubai, offering over 50 themed retail, dining, and entertainment experiences set across a waterfront district which is free for all to enjoy. The destination also hosts the Lapita Hotel, a Polynesian themed family hotel. Online ticket sales will go live shortly. Dubai Parks and Resorts will also feature a VIP ticket priced at AED 1,500 per park per day that will give guests a wide range of benefits, including but not limited to Q-Fast front of line access, a personal tour guide, discounts on food and beverage and retail purchases.  Regular daily ticket holders will be able to purchase the Q-Fast line access separately to enjoy reduced waiting time on rides and attractions, prices of the Q-Fast access for each theme park will be announced closer to the opening. Dubai Parks and Resorts will open to the public on 31 October 2016. Annual passes are currently on sale and available at DubaiParksandResorts.com.

Come October, the first Arabian Travel Awards will recognise and honour the best in travel and tourism industry in the Middle East. This initiative to encourage industry professionals started with India Travel Awards in 2014 and has now become a well-established and sought-after award show. The awards have been recognised for its fair and illustrious presence all over India. Being a formal black-tie event the awards are known for its glitzy, world-class ceremonies. Arabian Travel Awards is organised and executed by DDP Publications, which has a long standing presence in the Middle East with TravTalk. Owing to India being one of the top source markets for the Middle East, specially the UAE and DDP’s existing strong ties with the travel industry in the region, the response to the inaugural Arabian Travel Awards has been overwhelming with nominations already pouring in.   Gunjan Sabikhi, Convenor, Arabian Travel Awards, says, “Everyone needs encouragement to grow and Arabian Travel Awards is our initiative to help the industry in this endeavour. The Awards aim to recognise the contribution and achievements of travel and tourism players and reward those who have gone above and beyond to offer a superior tourism experience to travellers. We have received nominations from the remotest corner of the region. This Award will in turn help winners in improving their relationship with their suppliers, build their credibility and help them break into new markets.”   Based on a unique system of nomination as well as self-nomination and voting system on the Internet, these Awards will be transparent, fair and unbiased. Arabian Travel Awards will aspire the ‘Best of the Best’ in the region. The highest accolade in travel and tourism of the region, these awards shall be …

As the government of the UAE has announced  that both the public and private sector will enjoy Eid Al Adha holidays from September 9-18 and 9-13, 2016 respectively, it is advised to plan your client’s travel ahead to avoid any inconvenience. According to sources, the UAE immigration will be closed from 9th till Sept 13, 2016 on the account of Eid Al Adha holidays.