Up in the air . . .

UK authorities last week issued new rules that ban passengers on flights from Queen Alia International Airport and other airports in the region departing to London from carrying laptops and tablets in the aircraft cabin, in addition to the phones that are larger than, Length: 16.0cm, Width: 9.3cm, Depth: 1.5cm. These devices can be placed in the checked baggage. 

The decision of the UK authorities included the flights from Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport and flights departing to the UK from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia and Lebanon. The ban excludes the flights departing from the UK to Jordan and the mentioned countries.

This followed on from the the US authorities who issued new rules that ban passengers on flights to the US from carrying electronic and electrical devices in the aircraft cabin, but have them in their checked baggage.

The decision of the US authorities included the flights from Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport to the US, besides the departing flights from nine other airports in the Middle East, the Arab Gulf and North Africa.

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Dubai to get hotel with a rainforest

WANT to stay at an hotel that has its own tropical rain forest? Well, that very thing is going to be built in, er, #Dubai.

The 5* Rosemont Hotel – two 53-storey towers joined by a five-storey podium – will have a 75,000 sq.ft. rain forest, an artificial beach, a trampoline park, a bowling alley, and an adventure playing area for children.

Accommodation will comprise 450 rooms plus 280 serviced apartments.

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Dubai sets target for cruise tourism

DUBAI’S ambition for cruise tourism targets one million passengers a year from 2020, says Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman and CEO of DP World and chairman of the Ports, Customs, and Free Zone Corporation.

‘Our goal is to go all-out and make the passenger-friendly facility in #Dubai the best in the world’, says Bin Sulayem. ‘We are committed to investing in the transformation of Mina Rashid [Dubai’s port] into the #cruise #destination of choice for liners. In addition, there is a plan to build a marina for luxury yachts at Mina Rashid.’

Mina Rashid has been voted the Middle East’s leading cruise port at the World Travel Awards for the seventh consecutive year. It serves as a hub for tourists wishing to explore Middle Eastern countries, with a capacity to cater for seven big cruise vessels at one time.

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Picture Credit: Jumeirah Beach</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin

Saudi tourism to boom – forecast

SAUDI ARABIA’S in-bound tourism numbers could increase by 43% by 2020, according to research done for Deloitte. The number of international trips made to #SaudiArabia is estimated to increase from 18 million in 2015 to 25.8 million in 2020. 

Says Grant Salter, head of Travel, Hospitality and Leisure Advisory (Middle East) at Deloitte: ‘The kingdom already sees strong #tourism figures and hotel occupancy rates have historically been relatively high. There are more than 49,000 new hotel rooms under construction or in final planning across the country to meet the demands of this significant increase in tourists. We believe that with the improvements to the hospitality and leisure offering throughout the kingdom, there is a good chance that the projected increases will be met, if not exceeded.’

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Dubai records 11% increase in UK visitor numbers

ANNUAL figures released by Dubai’s Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing show that 1.188 million UK visitors travelled to Dubai in 2015, an 11 percent increase on the previous year.

#Dubai maintains its position as the fourth most visited city in the world, attracting more than 14.2 million overnight visitors in 2015, a 7.5 per cent increase over 2014.

Issam Kazim, chief executive of Dubai Tourism, said: ‘Once again, the numbers show UK travellers consider Dubai a #destination of choice. This summer alone, more than 250,000 British visitors enjoyed the excellent value deals on offer at stunning hotels and October saw our highest arrivals as families took to the city’s beaches and attractions during the school holidays.

‘The UK also sustained its average length of stay at 4.5 nights. Given that more visitors from the UK than ever took advantage of the summer deals on offer across the city, we believe this growth can be further attributed to people looking to enjoy five-star luxury at more affordable prices. We have also made strong efforts to diversify and increase the number of mid-market hotels while at the same time ensuring Dubai maintains its reputation as one of the world’s leading destinations for luxury.

‘Hotel apartments now make up more than a quarter of total inventory, while hotels that are four-star or less account for nearly half.’

This year, Dubai says it will continue to focus on the ‘key driving elements’ for tourism, including culture and heritage attractions, family-oriented theme parks, the opening of Dubai Opera House, and more restaurant and shops.

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/95747610@N05/14428031383">Burj Al Arab</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license)

Thomson Cruises to base ship in Dubai

THOMSON CRUISES is to base a ship in #Dubai in winter 2016-17. Thomson Celebration will run two itineraries in the Gulf region from December next year.

The two seven-night itineraries – Arabian Nights and Cities of Gold – will include an overnight in Dubai and calls in Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi.

Flights will operate to Dubai from Manchester, Birmingham, Gatwick, Cardiff, Newcastle, and Glasgow, with #cruise-and stay-packages also available when the programme goes on sale in November.

Thomson Cruises managing director, Helen Caron, said: ‘We know that destinations are one of the key deciding factors for our customers, and our decision to set sail from Dubai will allow holidaymakers to see and experience more destinations than ever before. With the average Brit visiting more than 14 foreign countries in their lifetime, we can’t wait for everyone to discover Arabia, from the glamour and opulence of Dubai and Abu Dhabi to the ancient heritage sites in Oman.’

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33694690@N07/4457890795">from burj khalifa to dubai shopping mall</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">(license)

Dubai apartments planned

JUMEIRAH GROUP has been appointed to operate a mixed-use development in RP Global’s US$1 billion tower in #Dubai. The #Jumeirah Business Bay will include a 200-room luxury hotel, 350 serviced apartments, and 290 luxury residences.

The tower will have a built-up area of more than three million square feet, offering views of Downtown Dubai and Burj Khalifa. A luxury urban resort destination, the tower will include food and beverage outlets, an award-winning Talise Spa and Health Club, conference and banquet facilities, and a rooftop bar.

It’s expected to be completed before the opening of Expo 2020.

Gerald Lawless, president and group CEO, Jumeirah Group, said: ‘As Dubai moves towards its tourism vision of receiving 20 million visitors a year by 2020, we are proud to be strengthening our portfolio in Dubai.’

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/61357231@N08/8645834809">Dubai by Augusto Janiski junior</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/">(license)