With everything available at the touch of a button, consumers no longer want to wait in a long queue, be placed on hold on the telephone, or carry around vast quantities of paperwork
Travellers
Latest in Travellers
China
UAE and Qatar citizens to get 10-day visa-free entry to China
Number of provinces that these travellers can visit under the transit programme has been increased from 19 to 24
China
China extends visa-free transit to 10 days for foreign travellers from 54 countries
Foreigners made 8.2 million inbound trips to China, up 48.8 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2024
Bahrain
Surge in ‘workation’ in GCC as CEOs, business owners and top-paid expats take overseas family outings at whims
Seeking finest experiences such as sessions with top hairdressers, getting luxurious facials and shopping at top-end designer places are among the ‘to do’ items for their family members, while CEOs continue with company work on the go
flight booking
Philippines, India emerge as top destinations for UAE, Saudi travellers this winter
Latest global data shows that international tourism is back to 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels in the first half of the year
British pound
Exchange bureaus offer 85 cents for one pound sterling
British pound continues slump after UK mini budget
business travellers
The return of travel and its impact on luxury spending in Dubai
While, like the tourism sector, luxury goods took a knock during the height of the pandemic, the luxury industry is now mirroring a resurgence as travel begins to boom
activities
Travellers are prioritising in-destination experiences to shape the future of tourism: ATM 2022 research
Up to 50 percent of operators have launched their businesses since 2015, while more than 70 new startups within tours, activities, attractions, and in-destination experiences have raised $2.6 billion since 2017
Abdulaziz Al-Duailej
Harmonising Air Travel: Saudi’s new framework to make global travel simpler, easier, and more fun
Nearly 50 percent of people surveyed in the Gulf said that prevailing confusion over health requirements will prevent them from travelling in 2022 – a gap that Saudi Arabia aims to bridge through a single, clear, up-to-date online resource
foreign visitors
Visa-free travel to South Korea’s resort island reopens as nation eyes return to pre-Covid normality
South Korea’s new Covid-19 cases fell below 50,000 as the government has lifted the outdoor mask mandate in the latest effort to return to pre-pandemic normality
Ali Salim Al Midfa
Sharjah Airport records 119 percent increase in passengers and 89 percent increase in flights in Q1 2022
The easing of international travel restrictions as well as the gradual recovery from Covid-19 allowed airlines to resume previously suspended flights, resulting in improved growth, the chairman of the Sharjah International Airport Authority said
Holiday destinations
UAE travellers will take longer holidays and spend more to make up for a lack of breaks in 2020 and 2021: report
The report shows that among the 85 percent of people from the UAE who already know they will be heading abroad in Summer 2022, approximately 98 percent of people have stated that they will be spending more than they usually would
DP World
P&O Ferries CEO should resign over redundancy controversy, says UK Transport Secretary
The CEO has acted with “incredible arrogance,” according to the secretary
DP World
DP World-owned P&O Ferries makes 800 redundancies as company aims to recover from $131m financial black hole
The UK ferry firm took action after concluding it “is not a viable business,” a spokesperson said
Abu Dhabi
Israel Ministry of Tourism opens skies to all travellers from the UAE
The decision follows a recent agreement between the UAE and Israel extending visa-free entry to all UAE nationals. Prior to 1 March, Israel borders were closed to tourists from the UAE.
bleisure travel
Let’s reclaim travel – together
Travel statistics for 2021 present an optimistic picture, especially for the Middle East and Africa region where occupancy rates recorded an increase of 26.9 percent last year compared to 2020
budget hotels
India’s Oyo Rooms eyes European markets
Oyo receives $1 billion in funding from a consortium of investors led by SoftBank in September, making it one of India’s wealthiest startups
