Browsing: Travel

United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Global Tourism Economic Forum (GTEF) have announced their intentions to strengthen their collaboration in a joint effort to promote closer ties between governments and the tourism industry’s private sector. The two organizations plan to revamp and enhance their annual Forum, with this year’s event set to take place on September 21st in Macau, China, marking the 10th anniversary of the Forum. Subsequent events will alternate locations between Macau and a different host country, which will be chosen collaboratively by UNWTO and GTEF. The announcement was made in Lisbon by UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab…

According to recent data published by the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT), the country’s cumulative tourist revenues exceeded the 1 billion-dinar mark in the first quarter of 2023. This represents a remarkable increase of 64% compared to the same period last year. The data also revealed an 8.5% increase in cumulative labor income, reaching 1.9 billion dinars against 1.7 billion dinars in March 2022. The growth in the tourism industry and labor income is a positive sign for the Tunisian economy, which has struggled in recent years. However, external debt services saw a significant surge of 23%, reaching 2.4 billion…

Emerging Asian economies are projected to maintain real GDP growth of 5.3% in 2023, according to the OECD Economic Outlook for Southeast Asia, China and India 2023. The region’s economies have been bolstered by the export sector, but inflation and interest rate differentials may increase capital flow volatility and put pressure on local currencies. The report highlights that the return of tourists is key to further bolstering economies as the travel and tourism sector generated around 12% of Southeast Asian economies’ GDP and around 11% of employment in Emerging Asia pre-pandemic. However, the sector must adapt to challenges such as…

A flight operated by Etihad Airways touched down last night in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state in eastern India. With seven weekly nonstop services, the airline once again connects Kolkata with the world through Abu Dhabi, making its much-anticipated return to the city. EY256, the first flight on the new service, departed Abu Dhabi at 13:50 local time on 26th March and landed at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport at 20:10 local time last night. There was a cake-cutting ceremony and celebration for passengers at Kolkata Airport, where Etihad and Kolkata Airport executives attended. On the 26th…

For the year ending on 31st December 2022, flydubai’s historic profits were AED1.2 billion (US$327 million), a 43% increase from 2021. AED9.1 billion (US$2.5 billion) was the carrier’s total annual revenue in 2022, up 72% from AED5.3 billion (US$1.4 billion). A record 10.6 million passengers were carried by the airline, up 89% from 2021, and 17 new aircraft were delivered, the highest number in a year. As part of its biggest recruitment campaign yet, flydubai also hired 1,300 employees in 2022. A statement by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of flydubai, stated, “Flydubai’s record performance for 2022…

A global investment company with operations in 13 countries, Dubai Holding, announced today that it has acquired Henderson Park’s stake in The Westin Paris – Vendome. In Paris, France, the hotel is one of the most valuable real estate assets because of its ultra-prime location. Dubai Holding and Henderson Park acquired The Westin Paris – Vendome jointly in 2018. Dubai Holding’s extensive portfolio of world-class assets in key gateway locations has been strengthened through the acquisition of this prime asset. It also supports the Group’s long-term strategy of global expansion, which is focused on boosting its presence in strategic locations…

While taxiing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), an American Airlines aircraft collided with a shuttle bus. In addition to the bus passengers and aviation workers, five people were injured and four were hospitalized. When the accident occurred, the aircraft was not carrying passengers. The plane was being towed by a tug vehicle when the collision occurred and one worker was injured. No passengers were on board the Airbus A321, which was being towed on a taxiway around 10 p.m. local time. It hit a bus that was transporting passengers between terminals, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Abu Dhabi Airports, operator of the emirate’s five airports, released its passenger traffic results today. The number of guests using Abu Dhabi International, Al Ain International, Al Bateen Executive, Delma Island and Sir Bani Yas Island airports tripled from 5.26 million in 2021 to 15.9 million in 2022. Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) at the five airports, which totaled 194,667 for the year, were also reported on the sidelines of the World Cargo Summit in Abu Dhabi. It is clear from these figures that Abu Dhabi airports continue to serve both tourism and business travelers. In addition, they are becoming a…

From May 1, Etihad Airways will increase its services to Frankfurt, Germany. There will be an additional four flights a week added to the airline’s daily frequency, bringing the total number of flights to Frankfurt to 11. Additional flights will be operated by Etihad’s ultra-modern Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, featuring 28 seats in Business and 262 seats in Economy. In addition to the increase in flights, Etihad recently announced the beginning of flights to Dusseldorf from 1st October, demonstrating its commitment to the German market. By increasing the frequency, Abu Dhabi will be able to connect to a growing network…

In 2022, Thailand received 11.15 million foreign visitors, an increase from 428,000 the previous year when pandemic-related travel restrictions were in effect. The figures reflect a solid turnaround as Thailand seeks to revive its tourism industry, which was battered by its strict entry and quarantine policies during the pandemic. Two million foreign tourists visited Thailand in December, compared with 230,497 a year earlier. Pre-pandemic 2019, foreign tourists reached a record high of nearly 40 million. Thailand’s top three source markets last year were Malaysia, India and Singapore. Thailand expects 25 million international visitors in 2023, including at least five million…