Arab Aviation and Media Summit ahead
AIR Arabia is organising the fourth edition of Arab Aviation Summit in Ras Al Khaimah on September 24, themed Aviation & Tourism: common vision and purpose.The Arab Aviation and Media Summit is a large gathering of Arab media together with top executives from the aviation and tourism industry, providing a platform for insightful discussions on the current trends and challenges faced by the avia-tourism sector in the Arab world and its impact on social and economic growth.Hong Kong to host GCC tradeFOR the first time ever, the Hong Kong Tourism Board will be hosting the largest familiarisation group from the GCC. From September 21 to 26, groups from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (Jeddah and Dammam) as well as the UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain) will experience the best of Asia’s World City – Hong Kong. Designed to increase destination awareness and understanding, this first ever mega-FAM will also help to stimulate bookings from the region especially amongst leisure travellers during the upcoming short break holiday periods. The trip will also include a full workshop day, giving the trade the opportunity to network and contract with Hong Kong suppliers and products. To date over 40 agents have confirmed their participation and all flights are being sponsored by Cathay Pacific Airways and Air Seychelles.
Inbound British tourism breaks recordsTHE first half of 2014 was the strongest first half of the year in history for inbound British tourism, new figures from the Office for National Statistics figures have revealed. There were 16.4 million inbound visits to Britain from January to June 2014, setting a new record for this time period and an increase of 8 per cent compared to the first half of 2013. The month of June alone saw a record number of visits from overseas, 3.18 million, which is a 10 per cent on June 2013. Spending by visitors to Britain in June 2014 also increased, by 4 per cent in nominal terms, setting a new June record of £1.97 billion. Looking at the six month period, January to June spending is on par with the amount spent during the same period in 2013, but the longer term view of the last twelve months shows a nominal 7 per cent increase, compared to a year ago.
Marine craft driving licence mandatoryDUBAI Maritime City Authority (DMCA), the government authority charged with regulating, coordinating and supervising all aspects of Dubai’s maritime sector, has announced the implementation of mandatory marine craft driving licence in Dubai effective January 2015. The regulation has been designed to offer a more comprehensive regulatory platform that will help ensure maritime safety, secure navigation and operational efficiency along the UAE coastline. The initiative is expected to help in the move to promote the local maritime sector and Dubai’s development as one of the world’s most prominent marine centres. The mandatory licensing of all marine crafts in Dubai is being seen as a fundamental pillar in the DMCA’s move to create an integrated regulatory framework to provide safe navigation and to ensure the highest levels of operational efficiency and safety within the marine waters of Dubai.
Al Basel partners with Mandarin OrientalAL BASEL Consultancy has announced a partnership with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group to promote its 44 hotels worldwide to their clients in the Middle East and GCC. The tourism industry has seen a dramatic increase in international travel from both the Middle East and GCC region. With this new partnership, Al Basel Consultancy will work on promoting Mandarin Oriental’s unique services and facilities to high-profile and discerning travellers who are expecting high-quality standards and luxurious accommodation.The agreement was signed by Michael Hobson, chief marketing officer, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and Basel Al Kasem, CEO, Al Basel Group.