The first phase of Oman’s brand new Muscat International Airport is operational now and has increased the passenger capacity to 20 million, up from the previous 12 million passengers recorded in 2017. The state-of-the-art airport has been designed to be the shining symbol of the Sultanate of Oman. The new airport is designed as International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) category 4F airports which will be able to accommodate the world`s largest aircraft, Airbus A380 and the runway will enable independent parallel operations. The passenger terminals built with the latest technology are aligned with IATA Service Level A standards. The total gross area for the new Muscat International terminal building is 580,000 m2 with an overall airport land area of 21 km2. Salim Al-Mamari, Ministry of Tourism, Oman said, “The government of Oman is focusing on Travel and Tourism as a part of its economic diversification strategy. The newly opened Muscat International Airport, brand new Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, revised visa rules along with other infrastructure developments seen in the recent times determine some of the efforts to increase tourism in Oman. India is one of the key markets for Oman and we are certain that this proactive initiative by the Ministry will drive a lot of visitors from India. Since 2014, Oman has witnessed over 23% growth in Indian arrivals. In 2016, Oman received 297,628 Indian arrivals as compared to 256,210 arrivals in 2014 that is over 16% growth within 2 years. In 2017, Oman received 321,161 Indian arrivals which is remarkably higher, showcasing growth of over 7.90 % in just one year.”

Mövenpick Holding has announced that it has agreed with its partner Kingdom Holding, to sell Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts to AccorHotels. Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has expanded its international presence and today manages more than 20,000 rooms in 84 hotels across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. With 42 additional hotels under development and to open by 2021, the group will further expand its footprint across these continents. With the integration into AccorHotels, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts will continue its long history of success and accelerate its further growth. Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts will have access to a world-renowned customer loyalty programme, benefit from new sales channels and will be able to increase the operational performance of its managed properties. AccorHotels is to pay CHF 560 million for Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals. It should be completed in the second half of 2018. Mövenpick Holding will continue on its strong growth path with Mövenpick Fine Foods, Mövenpick Wein and Marche International.

Muslim travellers will spend $157 billion by 2020, as revealed at the Arabian Travel Market 2018 and the top outbound market remains Saudi Arabia, which will grow 17 per cent over the next three years alone, to reach $27.9 billion. During the first seminar, entitled ‘Halal Tourism – How far have we come?’ Faeez Fadhlillah, Founder and CEO, Salam Standard and Tripfez, highlighted the growing importance of Muslim millennial travellers illustrated by the changing global socio-economic trends and underscored the potential pent up demand. “The biggest countries and some of the fastest growing economies in the world are found in Asia and the Middle East. These regions typically have large Muslim populations which are young with prosperous middle classes. In addition, second and third generation Muslim communities in developed economies such as Europe and North America now have far more purchasing power and overall, their combined growth generates increased demand for faith-based travel and tourism,” Fadhlillah said. During the second seminar, ‘Halal travel becomes mainstream’, Omar Ahmed, Founder and CEO, Sociable Earth, revealed some of the key results from a recent survey, in which 35,000 Muslim travellers participated. “Certainly, the halal travel market has graduated from its niche status to become an industry-shaping force, in its own right. It has become mainstream,” said Ahmed. “It is also clear that mainstream travel and tourism organisations will now have to become far more pro-active, if they want to attract increasing numbers of Halal travellers and tap into the potential of this massive market,” added Ahmed.

The historic Alamein resort, built in 1960 and having hosted legendary leaders including Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, second President of Egypt, is gearing up for a contemporary facelift. Emaar Hospitality Group has commenced renovation and redesign work of the property, while maintaining its cultural context and heritage, with the all-new Al Alamein Hotel, managed by Vida Hotel and Resorts, scheduled to open doors to visitors in 2018. It is located centrally in Marassi, the master-planned lifestyle and tourism destination by Emaar Misr. Al Alamein Hotel is the 14th upcoming project under Vida Hotels and Resorts. Al Alamein Hotel’s location along the Sidi Abdel Rahman Bay will make it a preferred hospitality destination by the Mediterranean for visitors not only from Egypt but across Europe and other parts of the world. The nearest international airport – Burj Al Arab Airport in Alexandria is just about two hours’ drive while the Al Alamein National Airport is less than 45 minutes away. Both airports offer direct connections to major European cities. To feature 189 rooms including luxury chalets, Al Alamein Hotel will have several enhanced features that maximise its beachfront location. Among the amenities awaiting visitors include additional outdoor seating to enjoy a relaxing day overlooking the soothing waters of the bay, a beach outlet, a rooftop lounge, a fully-equipped fitness centre, swimming pool, tennis court, and spa with treatment rooms and external marquees.

At this year’s Arabian Travel Awards, Aitken Spence Hotels is set to launch its first ‘Heritance’ property overseas, with the introduction of Heritance Aarah in winter 2018. The property, nestled in an island in Raa Atoll, 40 minutes from the Male International Airport will embrace the brand promise of the ‘Heritance’ chain of hotels. Operating as an all inclusive resort, Heritance Aarah will open doors to 26 intimate luxury duplex ocean suites, 56 sunset ocean villas and 68 land villas ranging from beach villas to pool beach villas, family beach villas and family pool beach villas. With five successful Heritance hotels and resorts in Sri Lanka, each boasting of inimitable stories of culture merging with hospitality and comfort, the move to open this latest resort comes with the expansion plans of Aitken Spence Hotels. The latest addition will be different and distinctive from the ‘Adaaran’ brand and introduce its beloved sister brand ‘Heritance’, bringing to Maldives a unique proposition of quintessentially traditional, curated experiences delicately woven into star-classed luxury. The six dining outlets includes flavours from hawker stalls to western farmers’ market, from France and Italy to the Middle east, Sri Lanka, Delhi, Istanbul, Mexico and Tokyo. The three bars include an exclusive space for Ocean Suite guests, poolside bar and an open-air rooftop venue.

A delegation of 51 Sri Lanka-based tourism and hospitality companies visited Arabian Travel Market to develop tourist arrivals and demand in the island-nation. In 2017, Sri Lanka received a total of 107,635 tourists from the Middle East region with 6.5 percent growth with the UAE as one of the fastest growing tourism market from the region. Currently there are 70 direct flight services a week connecting the UAE to Sri Lanka suggesting the potential to grow and develop the market further is great, especially as travellers from the country on average have one of the highest travel spends in the world. This will result in not only return dividends for Sri Lanka’s tourism and hospitality industries, but also for the retail industry. John Amaratunga, Sri Lankan Minister of Tourism said, “Sri Lanka has much to offer visitors from the region with our distinctive, adventure-packed, eco-friendly, family-focused experiences and offerings, as well as our rich nature, heritage and culture, year-round schedule of festivals and special events, numerous parks and eco centers, luxury resorts and wellness centres, and romantic settings for honeymooners and couples. Our mission has done much to put Sri Lanka on the map and in the hearts and minds of Middle East-based travel partners, and in combination with future promotions planned for the country and the region, I’m confident we will see many more visitors from the region making Sri Lanka their next holiday destination of choice in the coming months.”

Marriott International has signed a distribution co-operation agreement with Al Tayyar Travel Group (ATG), which will establish direct connectivity between the two companies and allow ATG to pull inventory and rates in real time from Marriott International’s reservations systems. The agreement is mutually beneficial to both companies as Marriott International will have access to ATG’s wide reaching network within KSA and beyond. Neal Jones, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer Middle East & Africa, Marriott International said, “We are delighted to consolidate our partnership with this exciting new connectivity announcement. Al Tayyar Travel Group has invested significantly in technology and payment platforms, and Marriott International is extremely proud to be able to dynamically connect our reservation systems to the mutual benefit of our companies. This will ultimately provide better service and availability of inventory to the travel trade and consumers in the MENA region.” “Our partnership with Marriott International provides customers with seamless access to a globally renowned hospitality company, and its wide-ranging offer of brands and properties, as well as the best available rates,” said Abdullah Aldawood, CEO, Al Tayyar Travel Group. “This agreement will further accelerate the growth of our company. We are delivering on our transformation strategy of being a leading online travel agency and holiday advisor in MENA, offering Omni-channel travel services,” Aldawood said.

The Dubai Maritime City Authority (DMCA) supported by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism)  has organised a workshop for key government entities, yacht operators and manufacturers as part of wider efforts to develop Dubai’s maritime industry. The workshop was held following the announcement of the economic stimulus by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai to reinforce Dubai’s economy. This important sector has significant potential to grow by expanding into the lucrative luxury yachts sector plus ensuring leisure maritime pursuits are easier to enjoy with the overall aim to further broaden Dubai’s tourism offering. With the global yacht industry expected to reach $74.7 billion by 20221, driven by luxury cruising among high net worth individuals, Dubai aims to be well-placed to ensure maritime regulations and infrastructure match the demanding expectations of this significant sector. Already the world’s fourth most visited city2, Dubai’s existing tourism proposition is hugely attractive for global visitors and is perfectly positioned to capture an increasing share of the high-end superyacht market. The leisure maritime sector is also expected to continue on an upward curve due to an easing of regulations encouraging recreational boating activities. Local stakeholders have highlighted a number of challenges that are being addressed to facilitate easier access and drive increased visitation from maritime enthusiasts who seek sea based experiences.

Dusit International has signed a management agreement with Dar Al-Huda Hotel Apartments SPC to operate Dusit Resort and Spa Lagoona Beach in Al Budaiya in Bahrain. The hotel comprises 174 spacious, well-appointed seafront apartments, each with sea views. Alongside a health and fitness centre with gender segregated spas and swimming pools, resort amenities include water sports, zip-lines, private islands, meeting facilities, a kids’ club and an all-day-dining restaurant. A luxury villa complex with water park is also being planned. Dusit Resort and Spa Lagoona Beach will be the second Dusit-branded property in Bahrain. It follows last year’s signing of Dusit D2 City Centre Bahrain, which is slated to open by the end of the year. In line with Dusit International’s strategy for sustainable and profitable growth, which includes balancing its portfolio to include half of its operations outside of Thailand by 2022, the company’s current tally of 27 properties is set to top 70 within the next four years. “Our aim is to have at least 25 hotels in operation in the region by 2020, representing 5,700 keys,” said Lim Boon Kwee, Chief Operating Officer, Dusit International. “The best way to achieve this, of course, is by ensuring we always go the extra mile to delight our guests and customers with our unique brand of gracious hospitality. We are delighted Dar Al-Huda Hotel Apartments SPC has given us that opportunity at Dusit Resort and Spa Lagoona Beach. This is an excellent property in a prime location, and we look forward to making it a huge success,”Kwee said.

Central Hotels will debut in Turkey with the signing of a strategic agreement with Green Valley Real Estate to operate the company’s hotels in the country under a new brand ‘Valley Central Suites’. The first two hotels to be managed by Central Hotels in Turkey are The Valley Central Suites Bursa and Valley Central Suites Trabzon followed by other projects in Yaluva and Sapanca. This special agreement between the two parties will subsequently extend to Green Valley Real Estate’s hotels in Morocco, Georgia and Bosnia. Ali Al Salami, Group Director General, Green Valley Real Estate, stated, “We are delighted to collaborate with Central Hotels to manage our hotels in Turkey. This agreement fulfils our commitment to our valued customers who have bought their units in Turkey.” Established in 2004, the Green Valley Real Estate Group owns a total of 42 real estate development projects worldwide. Ahmad Al Abdulla, Chairman, Central Hotels, said, “We are very excited to expand our footprint with a strong and prominent partner such as Green Valley Real Estate. This presents us an excellent opportunity to accelerate the growth of our brand outside the UAE.” Located near the port of Bursa and the Mudanya Corniche, Valley Central Suites in Bursa boasts of 111 fully furnished suites consisting of one and two-bedroom apartments as well as duplex apartments offering either three or four rooms. Included in its fabulous facilities are integrated residential complex services, private swimming pool, children’s garden and play area and dedicated parking for owners.