This past summer, Instagram feeds were plastered with videos of tourists in Italy. You’d see a video of the Trevi Fountain with just a few Italian models taking photos – then a more realistic video with swarms of sweaty tourists.
13.09.2023 - 14:19 / skift.com / Sébastien Bazin / Josh Corder
Caesars Palace Dubai is closing its doors, with Dubai Holding now choosing Accor instead. A phased rebranding will follow and by November of this year, the property will become Banyan Tree Dubai. With Caesars Entertainment detaching itself from Dubai – even after the country announced a gaming authority – Banyan Tree and Ennismore will co-operate the rebranded hotel.
The ”repositioned” and “improved” Banyan Tree Dubai will have 179 rooms, a Banyan Tree spa, a “mini rainforest” and five F&B outlets, offering brands from both Banyan Tree and Ennismore’s Carte Blanched F&B studio.
Banyan Tree Dubai is first of many announcements marking the beginning of a larger hotel and brand development partnership between Accor and Dubai Holding, with multiple projects in the pipeline. The agreement was signed by Sébastien Bazin, chairman & CEO of Accor, with Amit Kaushal, group CEO of Dubai Holding earlier today (Wednesday, September 13).
Kaushal said: “Bluewaters has always been a destination for major projects that redefine luxury and cement Dubai as a global beacon of the tourism industry. Our collaboration with market leaders like Accor, Ennismore and Banyan Tree Group marks an important milestone in our ongoing journey of elevating the rich hospitality landscape in Dubai.”
Much like how Caesars’ entry into Dubai in 2018 shocked many, its departure, again, is surprising. After the group’s CEO said in early 2022 he had always assumed the resort would one day be set up for gaming, the Las Vegas brand retracts from Dubai one week after the formation of the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, known as the GCGRA.
See Ennismore co-CEO Sharan Pasricha speak on-stage at the Skift Global Forum East in Dubai on December 14.
This past summer, Instagram feeds were plastered with videos of tourists in Italy. You’d see a video of the Trevi Fountain with just a few Italian models taking photos – then a more realistic video with swarms of sweaty tourists.
During a historic visit to Saudi Arabia earlier this week, Israel’s Minister of Tourism said that it is the travel industry that can thaw the frosty relations between the two countries. Haim Katz’s visit marked the most senior member of the Israeli government to visit the Gulf kingdom.
Saudi Arabia will raise its previous 100 million visitors by 2030 target to 150 million, as kingdom officials say the old number is too low. The move was revealed during the Skift Global Forum 2023 by Mahmoud Abdulhadi, Deputy Minister, Destination Enablement at the Ministry of Tourism.
Pre-pandemic, the cash-rich, travel-hungry Chinese tourist was a principal focus for Dubai, so much so that an entire “China Readiness” strategy was created. It included rolling out marketing campaigns on local social media app WeChat; the creation of a “Chinese Travelers Standards” training program for workers; a raft of signings with Chinese tour operators, and much more.
The Luxury Collection NEOM, located in Saudi Arabia’s Sindalah Island, put out a call for mixologists and bartenders ahead of its opening next year – though the hotel’s operator, Marriott, says the job listings were a mistake and being removed.
The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, referred to as “MBS” by the media, won’t slow down his spending to reshape his kingdom and boost tourism. His immense projects have been met with scrutiny overseas, but in the future, he wants to develop nearly 600 islands along the coast, according to his interview on Wednesday with Fox News, his first fully in English.
Size matters in Dubai, home to the world’s tallest building, the largest water park, and just because it can, the world’s largest “frame.” Already chief among the other six emirates in hotel development, Dubai is charging ahead with yet more rooms.
Dubai continues to pull ahead of its pre-pandemic tourism numbers. The emirate drew in 9.8 million international travelers up to July this year, according to the latest data from Dubai Tourism. For the same period in 2019, Dubai had 9.6 million international visitors, and in 2022, welcomed 8.1 million up to that point.
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The holding company of one of UAE’s best-known local hotel groups, FIVE Holdings, publicly shared its financial results recently – notable because large companies rarely release financial information unless they trade publicly.
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has named a new regional president: Adrian Messerli is now president of hotel operations for the EMEA region. He succeeds Simon Casson, who held the role since 2016 and announced his departure from the group earlier in the year for a to-be-confirmed new opportunity.
The United Arab Emirates has established the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, known as the GCGRA, a federal-level entity to regulate and establish “strict guidelines” for the country’s commercial gaming industry. The GCGRA sets the scene for future casinos where Ras Al Khaimah already has the confirmed Wynn resort; a potential “Arabian Strip;” and gaming in other emirates, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi.