Category Archives: Govt

GCC tourists to Egypt will spend $2.36 billion in 2020, an increase of 11 per cent over 2019, with visitors from Saudi Arabia driving this growth, according to new data published ahead of Arabian Travel Market 2020, which will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 19-22, 2020. Visitors from Saudi Arabia to Egypt made 1,410 trips in 2019 with a forecast of 1.8 million tourists by 2024, a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5 per cent. In terms of tourism expenditure, Saudi Arabian visitors spent $633 million in 2019 which is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 11 per cent through to 2024, reaching $1.13 billion, according to Colliers International research commissioned by the organiser of ATM, Reed Travel Exhibitions. Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said, “Total tourism receipts in Egypt which stood at $16.4 billion in 2019, will achieve an average 13 per cent CAGR over the next five years to reach $29.7 billion. And Egypt also has a significant outbound market for the GCC. 1.84 million visitors arrived in 2019 and this is estimated to increase to 2.64 million by 2024.” “Over the last 12 months, Egypt’s tourism industry has witnessed remarkable growth, with arrivals up by 57.5 per cent from 11.3 million in 2018 to 17.8 million in 2019. Growth has been fuelled by the cheaper Egyptian Pound and government incentives for charter airlines operating international flights. Underscoring those impressive numbers, we witnessed a 23 per cent increase in the number of visitors interested in doing business with Egypt, up to almost 4,000,” added Curtis.

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) announces an administrative order clarifying the law of Decree No. 41, introduced in 2013 to govern holiday home activity in Dubai. The order outlines regulations for operators, homeowners and authorised tenants, who wish to obtain a holiday home license, and has been produced in collaboration with the Supreme Legislation Committee to further diversify tourism in the emirate and boost competition through safe and transparent operations. The technical requirements, guidelines and processes will be mapped out in a detailed guide issued by Dubai Tourism, which will also provide an overview of the operations of a holiday home, how a license can be obtained and should be maintained, and the rights and liabilities of developers, operators and homeowners. Khalid Bin Touq, Executive Director, Tourism Activities and Classification Sector, Dubai Tourism commented, “Recognising this growing popularity for the Holiday Homes concept, Dubai Tourism is committed to enhancing the product offering, fuelling increased visitation, and making Dubai the world’s preferred destination in line with Dubai’s Tourism Vision 2022-25, as envisioned by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. As such, this new administrative resolution will reassure the industry that we are taking steps to regulate the operation of Holiday Homes, providing a comprehensive classification and verification process and ensuring global best practices are adopted to increase competitiveness, transparency, safety and standardisation of the sector.” He added, “We remain in continuous contact with the industry to ensure the processes and requirements are clear, and as the official governing entity for the Holiday Home sector, we encourage all operators and developers to share their …

Holders of US, UK or Schengen visas can now obtain a visa on arrival in Saudi Arabia, it has been announced recently. The move comes in line with the Kingdom’s recent implementation of tourist visas. While holders of American, UK and Schengen visas will now be able to obtain a tourist visa on arrival, they are not eligible for the electronic visa system. However, the visitor must have already used his US, UK or Schengen visa to visit the respective countries before arriving in Saudi Arabia.

As part of the agenda of the meeting, the UAE Cabinet approved Air Arabia Abu Dhabi as a national carrier airline for the UAE in order to enhance civil aviation in the country and to allow the aviation sector to keep pace with future development plans and directions.  The resolution reflects the importance the government attaches to the aviation sector. The UAE government invested considerable efforts to improve this sector and support all the businesses working in it. The government gives the aviation sector all forms of support in line with the comprehensive development plans occurring in the country.

According to the Dubai Media Center, the UAE Cabinet has approved the issuance of a five-year multi-entry tourist visa for all nationalities visiting the country. The decision was made during the Cabinet’s first meeting during 2020 the Year of Preparation, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. The move comes in a bid to support the UAE’s tourism economy, and affirm the country’s position as a global tourist destination. Another key decision made during the meeting includes the introduction of a visa waiver for Mexican citizens travelling to the UAE. The two decisions will be implemented during the first quarter of 2020. During the meeting, held at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi, Cabinet members reviewed the achievements of the UAE government in 2019. The meeting was held in the presence H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, and H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.

Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) revealed the new identity and logo of Manama as the “Capital of Arab Tourism for 2020″ following the announcement that was made during the 22nd session of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism. The Kingdom of Bahrain celebrated the beginning of 2020 with a spectacular fireworks show as part of the New Year’s Eve celebratory event organised by the BTEA. BTEA had organised a number of entertainment activities for visitors including a live performance by Majaz Musical Band, a ballet dancer performance on stilts ‘A Dance of Color’, in addition to the breathtaking musical aerial performance by the dancers and acrobats of SONIC as well as the live DJ and drumming with Sonic Snares from the United Kingdom. During the countdown, the identity and logo of Manama were revealed on the side interface of the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, which was shortly followed by a spectacular display of fireworks to mark the occasion.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT – Abu Dhabi) welcomed the Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau to the UAE capital, where the Bureau was hosting the ‘Abu Dhabi Overseas Promotion Conference of Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau’. During their visit, members of the Bureau were given the opportunity to tour DCT Abu Dhabi’s offices to learn more about the city’s tourism strategies and upcoming plans for 2020. “Both Beijing and Abu Dhabi boast a rich and unique history and culture – a key factor for attracting tourists,” said Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, Acting Executive Director of Tourism and Marketing Sector, DCT – Abu Dhabi “Our countries share common values and a shared drive to be at the forefront of success, which has been founded on a solid and long-lasting relationship between the UAE and China, something we are immensely proud of. This enlightening visit provided both parties with key knowledge and an exchange of industry experience, which will undoubtedly help both DCT Abu Dhabi and Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau to achieve our goals and enhance the tourism sector in both cities.” “We are pleased to strengthen the cooperation with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, which promotes the overseas partnership programme and continues to play the role of a bridge between our two cities in the culture and tourism areas,” said Wang Qing, Director at Beijing Municipal Culture and Tourism Bureau.

Tourism ministers and diplomatic representatives from 20 Arab League nations gathered at the historic Al Ahsa, 2019 Arab City of Tourism, where the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) hosted the 22nd Annual Arab Tourism Ministers Meeting. The ministers and representatives discussed issues ranging from delivering a more unified approach to promoting tourism in the Arab world through to building sustainable tourism industries in the region. His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, commented, “Tourism has a critical role to play across our region, not only in driving economic growth and in creating enriching career opportunities for local communities, but also in fostering new opportunities for cultural exchange and understanding. We look forward to exploring how the Arab League can work together to embrace the opportunities tourism presents for the benefit of our region.” During the meeting, ministers discussed the important role of tourism in driving economic growth and creating inclusive job opportunities as a significant employer of women and young people. Also on the agenda was the importance of regional collaboration to harness the growing global trend of multi-destination tourism. Ministers discussed opportunities for countries to work together to build strong regional tourism identities that celebrate rich and diverse tourism offerings and highlight intra-regional air, land and sea connectivity. His Excellency, Ahmed Al Khateeb shared the Kingdom’s ambitious strategy, which aims to attract travellers from around the world to meet its targets of 100 million trips by 2030 and plans to triple its current GDP level from 3 per cent to 10 per cent, creating one million new jobs.

Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADDH) and FTI Group, formalised their intent to partner and boost visitor numbers to the emirate and cement Abu Dhabi’s position as a global tourism destination. Under the terms of the intent agreement, collaboration will focus on increasing the number of visitors to Abu Dhabi from key European markets, including the UK, France and Germany. ADDH is set to inject 100 million euros in FTI Group which will also help expand the firm’s worldwide business outreach and enhance its vertical integration strategy across key tourism segments including tour operation, destinations management, own content and distribution. In 2010, the firm established its flagship destination management company Meeting Point Tourism LLC in the UAE. Mohamed Al Suwaidi, CEO of ADDH, commented, “Our strategic partnership with FTI Group reflects our wider commitment, in alignment with the Abu Dhabi Government, to support the emirate’s ambition in the tourism sector. The collaboration will not only create more opportunities to enhance Abu Dhabi’s sustainable tourism sector, but it also aligns with our mandate to further develop sectors of Abu Dhabi’s non-oil economy.” Dietmar Gunz, CEO of FTI Group, said, “ADDH is an exciting partner for FTI group given its portfolio of hotels and presence in the exhibition, aviation, culture and media sectors, which will enable us to design a new class of exclusive holiday packages for the ultimate customer experience.” “Abu Dhabi is an increasingly growing tourism market and has been part of our company’s long-term expansion and consolidation strategy in the region. In the coming months, we will open our first fully serviced offices in Abu Dhabi – a clear indication of our commitment to the UAE capital,” Roula Jouny, …

In a partnership expected to drive further business tourism from China to the UAE capital, the Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau (ADCB), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT – Abu Dhabi), has established the first ever dedicated advisory committee in China with the goal of engaging the ever-growing outbound M!CE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) market there. Top leaders from the M!CE industry in China were appointed as part of the advisory committee following a strategic partnership agreement, which was signed in Abu Dhabi on December 12, 2019 at an industry forum for knowledge sharing about the Chinese market. The partnership came as part of Abu Dhabi’s wider strategy to increase international M!CE arrivals from China and encourage M!CE visitors to extend their stays in the UAE capital, in addition to raising awareness about the capital’s unique offerings. The role of the advisory committee will include providing insight into M!CE trends, business travel, and challenges and behaviours within the Chinese market, enabling ADCB to employ the best channels, which in turn would lead to an increase of M!CE groups to Abu Dhabi. Ali Al Shaiba, Acting Executive Director of Tourism and Marketing from DCT – Abu Dhabi said, “China is a strategic partner for the UAE, and a key player in the M!CE industry, making this unprecedented agreement one of the most important aspects of our plan to further boost M!CE visitors to Abu Dhabi. The positive impact that business tourism has on an economy is tremendous, and with China’s vast outbound M!CE market, the business and economic opportunities are profound.”