Category: Middle East

Pamukkale, Turkey After their recent participation in the trade exhibitions in India, Turkish tourism industry is eyeing on Indian Metro cities to develop wedding and Mice tourism in their country. The tourism department is planning to have campaigns to lure people from Chennai and other metros. Recently Indians are showing interest in conducting wedding and other important functions abroad.  They are less hesitant to spend money to make the functions as grand as possible. Turkish tourism department is trying to exploit this tendency and showcase their historical monuments and other world renowned tourism spots to the MICE and Destination Wedding ... Read more

We have all been to lifts, standing still, travelling up or down. But, this lift in Jumeirah Emirates Towers is offering you a once in a lifetime experience. Inside the iconic glass elevators, guests can enjoy a five-course meal while they ride in the lift, all with a panoramic view of the city. The feast is arranged the famous Sheikh Zayed Road as part of Jumeirah’s 90 Ways to Summer promotion until September 30. Prices for the dining starts at Dhs4,000 for a meal, along with a bottle of sparkling for an added Dhs700. Meanwhile, a Dhs5,500 package will pick you up ... Read more

As summer is subsiding slowly, three of the major attractions in Dubai to hang out, eat, drink and to have some entertainment, will be resuming functioning at the end of this month. First among them is Seven Sisters, the Lebanese café, which reopens on Thursday 30th August 2018. Overlooking the Dubai Canal, in the JW Marriott Marquis, Seven Sisters is an ideal place for spending your nights with friends. There are lots to eat and drink, other than the eventful evenings. It hosts a weekly Tuesday live music session, fashionable Friday fusion concept inspired by the Orient and will dedicate ... Read more

Emirates SkyCargo said it will carry flood relief cargo of over 175 tons to Kerala, joining the UAE community in their support of the people of Kerala. Over more than a dozen flights, the air cargo operator will transport the relief goods, which have been donated by various UAE-based businesses and organisations, to Thiruvananthapuram – the nearest online Emirates station to the areas most affected by the flood. The goods, including lifesaving boats, blankets and dry food items, will be handed over to the local flood relief and aid organisations for distribution.

Jet Airways has announced that it will operate additional flights from Thiruvananthapuram, since the water clogged airport of Kochi is still not suitable for operating normal flights. “We are committed in our support to the people impacted due to #KeralaFloods and sincerely hope the situation stabilises soon”, tweeted the airline. The additional domestic flights announced are as follows: From August 19th to 26th – Mumbai to Trivandrum at 10:40, Trivandrum to Mumbai at 13:25, Bengaluru to Trivandrum at 10:30, Trivandrum to Bengaluru at 12:35. From August 21st and 22nd – Mumbai to Trivandrum at 13:30 and Trivandrum to Mumbai at ... Read more

Emirates has introduced new toys from the Emirates Fly with Me collection and Lonely Planet Kids activity kit bags for children travelling in all classes. The new range of toys will come in the top four favourite characters, as voted by customers and fans in a social media competition held last year. Of the 17 characters Emirates introduced on board in the last three years, the top four characters chosen for the new products are Lewis the Lion, Peek U the Panda, Ernie the Penguin, and Savanna the Elephant. The new collection will be on board all flights and across ... Read more

Saudi Arabia will provide Hajj visas for Qatari nationals on-arrival, noting that Doha had been attempting to block access to citizens wishing to perform the holy pilgrimage later this month. The Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umra countered Qatari claims that the kingdom was blocking access to websites used to register for Hajj visas by officially allowing citizens to obtain permits at the King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah. The ministry provided photos of the offices that will be responsible for Qatari pilgrims during their stay in Makkah. “Qataris will be granted passage, despite a diplomatic dispute between Riyadh and Doha,” ... Read more

Emirates is planning to introduce two additional flights to its Toronto (YYZ) service, to complement its existing schedule. The additional Toronto flights will be introduced on August 18, 2018 and will operate on a Saturday departing Dubai as EK241 at 0330 hrs and arrive in Toronto at 0930 hrs. The return flight, EK242, leaves Toronto at 1425 hrs and arrives in Dubai at 1140 hrs the next day. On Sundays, EK241 will depart at 03.30 hrs and arrive in Toronto at 09.30 hrs. The return flight, EK242, will leave Toronto at 14:30 and arrives in Dubai at 11:25 the next ... Read more

India retained its first position as the favoured tourist market for Duabi Tourism, with more than a million Indians visiting the city of gold during the first half of 2018, which is three per cent more than that of last year. As per statistics from Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), Saudi Arabia and the UK are in second and third places respectively, while China in the fourth place. Russia improved their position to be in the first 10, with a soaring 74 per cent increase than 2017, delivering 405,000 visitors to the country. The visa-on-arrival facility ... Read more

Effective 28 October 2018, Etihad Airways will increase its flights from Abu Dhabi to Canada’s largest city, Toronto, from three to five weekly services. The flights will be operated by Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, featuring 40 seats in Business Class and 340 in Economy Class. “We are thrilled to announce more flights to cosmopolitan Toronto, one of the most successful and popular destinations on our global route network. This news has been eagerly anticipated,” said Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer, Etihad Aviation Group. “We have welcomed well over a million guests on our flights to Toronto since we launched the service almost ... Read more

Emirates announced that it will introduce two additional flights to its Toronto (YYZ) service, complementing its existing schedule and providing even more choice and convenience to travellers. The additional Toronto flights will be introduced on August 18 2018 and will operate on a Saturday departing Dubai as EK241 at 03:30 and arrive in Toronto at 09:30. The return flight, EK242, leaves Toronto at 14:25 and arrives in Dubai at 11:40 the next day. On Sundays, EK241 will depart at 03:30 and arrive in Toronto at 09:30. The return flight, EK242, will leave Toronto at 14:30 and arrives in Dubai at ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: IG/nuchienuchiee Experts in the field estimate that by 2020 Dubai will welcome a whopping 20 million international tourists. With a host of tourist-friendly activities and developments, the Emirate is all set to welcome the globetrotters and has even exempted tourists from value-added tax recently. Dubai recorded 15.8 million overnight visitors in 2017 – a 6.2 per cent increase from 2016, which was an all-time high number. Around 4.7 million international overnight visitors were recorded in the first quarter of 2018, registering a 2 per cent increase from the same period last year. The UAE hospitality market is expected to ... Read more

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) has announced details of some of the emirate’s top attractions for families to enjoy this summer, including a mix of entertainment, science, art and – above all – carefree fun. The activation fall under the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA)’s seasonal campaign ‘Sharjah Summer’. Al Qasba Al Qasba has become the premier tourism, cultural, business, and entertainment landmark within the Emirate of Sharjah. Its most distinctive features are its one kilometre-long man-made canal. Managed by the Al Qasba Development Authority, an affiliate of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), Al Qasba’s unique ... Read more

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) has opened the gates of their brand new amusement offering, the ‘Pearls Kingdom’ water park, at Al Montazah Parks, Sharjah. This premiere tourist and family destination has invested over AED 100 million in developing this waterpark along with a new amusement park, ‘Island of Legends’, and invites visitors across the UAE to bring themselves to a brand new experience being offered at their favourite destinations in the country. With its theme inspired by the myth of ‘Princess Pearls’ who has envisioned a brand new water world using her astute knowledge of the precious sea ... Read more

Tourists to Oman can now obtain a visa for just five riyals, which equals to almost Rs 900 as per today’s exchange rate. Tourists were earlier required to pay 20 riyals whether they stayed back for five days or a month. The new decree aims to boost the tourism sector. Indians who hold valid visa to USA, Canada, Australia, UK, Japan and Schengen states can avail the Oman visa through an e-visa process by simply logging into https://evisa.rop.gov.om/. “Those who doesn’t have visas to the said countries, can get a sponsored visa by paying 5 Riyal plus processing fee through their tour operators,” ... Read more