Travel tips

The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) announced today (Monday 6th May) that GCC travellers spent 1,297,256 room nights in Germany during 2023, a 15% increase over the 1,128,341 overnight stays recorded in 2022.

The thrilling, internationally-acclaimed Cirque du Soleil production, KOOZA, is coming to the Santa Monica Pier from October 19 through December 1. Audiences are invited under the iconic Big Top at the Pier to be part of the joyous return of Cirque du Soleil to this much-loved location that is home to both magic and memories. From daredevil performances to mischievous clowns, KOOZA delivers a signature Cirque du Soleil experience in its most exciting form with high-flying acrobatics, whimsical characters, lavish costuming, colorful sets, hilarious clowning, and a powerful live score. Acclaimed the world over since its opening in 2007, KOOZA has mesmerized close to 8M spectators with over 4K performances in 65 cities across 22 countries. This marks Cirque du Soleil’s first Big Top show in Santa Monica since 2014.

Disneyland Resort is celebrating summer and announcing a new, limited-time ticket offer and new hotel offers, giving guests flexible options and a great way to save to enjoy three days of magic at The Happiest Place on Earth. With thrilling adventures, popular attractions, beloved Disney characters and refreshing summertime treats, there’s something for everyone at Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.

Lisbon’s newest tourist attraction, a funicular that carries passengers almost 80 metres up some of the city’s steepest streets, is the latest in a raft of recent developments that have seen Portugal’s capital become one of Europe’s leading city break destinations.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has today announced that its Hotel Sustainability Basics (Basics) has achieved a significant milestone, with 3,400 properties now verified across almost 80 countries. Designed to help hoteliers on their first steps to improve their sustainability ratings and raise the bar of sustainability across the global hospitality industry, this independent global sustainability verification programme is overseen by internationally recognised verifiers Green Key and SGS.

With 26 co-exhibitors uniting under the guidance of the Moroccan tourism office, Morocco aims to enhance its visibility as a top destination in the Gulf countries.

The Tourist Board of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board are presenting at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai from May 6th to 9th. Over the past three decades, the Arabian Travel Market has become the premier global event fostering the growth of the travel and tourism industry. In a world where travel transcends boundaries and business opportunities abound, there exists a place where global visionaries in travel and tourism converge. It’s a platform where leisure seamlessly blends with business, MICE, and luxury travel, attracting global leaders to experience the future. Welcome to the Arabian Travel Market - the gateway to global travel and tourism growth – is this year’s slogan.

Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority (RAKTA) and Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) have taken a significant move towards transforming tourism and transportation in the Emirate by signing a future-forward Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Skyports Infrastructure (Skyports), the company leading the development of vertiport infrastructure for electric air taxi services. Marking the beginning of an exciting partnership that will pioneer sustainable tourism through electric air mobility, this pivotal MoU will see Skyports develop a network of vertiports to connect key attractions across Ras Al Khaimah, propelling the Emirate as a destination of the future and aligning with RAKTA’s Strategic Plan 2030.

Dubai has maintained its tourism growth momentum with 5.18 million international overnight visitors in the first quarter of 2024, marking an 11 per cent year-on-year increase. The data was released by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) at the 31st edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which opened today.

As part of the Dhofar Governorate’s preparations for the launch of the Khareef Dhofar 2024 activities and in cooperation with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism to promote the tourism season in Dhofar Governorate, the Dhofar Municipality participated in the Arabian Travel Market 2024 exhibition, which is hosted in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from May 6 to 9. This participation was under the wing of the Omani Ministry of Heritage and Tourism.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) has revealed Italy’s Travel & Tourism sector contributed €215BN, representing 10.5% of Italy’s total economic output last year, underscoring the sector’s prominence as a backbone of the Italian economy. The sector also proved a significant source of employment in 2023, breaking all records generating nearly 185,000 new jobs, raising the total to 2.97MN nationwide, representing one in every eight jobs across the country.

Hatta Resorts and its Wadi Hub is proudly taking part in this year’s edition of the annual Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which opened yesterday and will run until 9 May at Dubai World Trade Centre. Known for glamping and its impressive line-up of exhilarating adventures amidst the picturesque natural landscape of the Hajar Mountains, the Hatta region is an all-rounded haven for a quick city escape. As Dubai’s largest nature reserve, Hatta is a multi-faceted sustainable destination that has an undeniable appeal for those seeking to relax or to engage in their next thrilling adventure. With over 351,000 visitors from September 2023 to April 2024, Hatta Resorts and its Wadi Hub had a successful season welcoming guests from the UAE and across the globe — a remarkable 40.4% increase to last season’s figures. Visitors to the Hatta stand, located in the Department of Economy and Tourism pavilion, at the conference, can also expect an exploratory introduction to the resort through visual and sensory demonstrations highlighting the resort’s offerings from the perspective of travellers.

Gulf-wide collaboration, ease of inter-regional travel and infrastructure development were placed under the microscope at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024, which saw a selection of policymakers discuss the streamlining of the GCC’s thriving tourism industry. The 31st edition of ATM is being hosted at Dubai World Travel Centre (DWTC) until Thursday 9 May.

Emirates has signed a number of Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) on the first day of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) with Tourism Malaysia, Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce. These agreements demonstrate the airline’s commitment to entice more travellers across its network of more than 140 destinations to experience the sights, culture and attractions of each destination, in addition to supporting travel opportunities for local UAE companies and SMEs.

Aseer Region Development Authority (ASDA) will join worldwide tourism leaders at ATM annual event in Dubai, to officially launch the new Aseer brand identity regionally, following a local launch and VIP ceremony held in Rijal Alma the previous week.

Nikos Chardalias, Governor of the Attica Region, Greece, has hailed the role played by the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai in bringing together all tourism and travel companies, airlines, and industry stakeholders from around the world under one roof.

Capitalising on China’s projected tourism growth was a key topic at yesterday’s Market Insights Summit at Arabian Travel Market (ATM). The summit, which took place on the Global Stage at the Middle East’s leading travel and tourism exhibition, explored the potential of the developing markets such as China. 

Underscoring Emirates’ commitment to boost tourism inflows across its network, the airline has reaffirmed its strategic cooperation with Tourism Seychelles and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau and has forged a new partnership with the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Emirates has pledged its renewed commitment with Tourism Seychelles, supporting the island’s efforts to promoting tourism and trade to the country. The MoU was signed by Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ SVP Commercial - West Asia & Indian Ocean, and Sherin Francis, Principal Secretary Tourism Department, Tourism Seychelles, in the presence of Nabil Sultan, Emirates’ Executive Vice President, Passenger Sales and Country Management.

At U.S. Travel’s IPW – the largest generator of international inbound travel to the United States – Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman shared a vision to make travel a national priority, solve barriers to visitation growth, and become the most-visited nation in the world.

India is rapidly emerging as a crucial source market for global tourism, driven by significant economic growth, demographic shifts, and infrastructural improvements, as highlighted on the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024 Future Stage, as the Middle East’s leading travel and tourism event returned to the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) for its 31st year. During the session Unlocking the True Potential of Indian Travellers, Virendra Jain, CEO and Co-Founder of VIDEC, a travel, tourism and hospitality boutique advisory and analytics firm, shared key insights, including market opportunity assessments, channel and distribution analysis, characteristics and behaviours of Indian travellers and projections of Indian outbound travel trends over the next decade.

Tourism Malaysia participates in the 31st edition of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2024, showcasing the country’s latest attractions and destinations to attract more tourists from West Asia. The four-day prestigious event held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 6 to 9 May 2024 marks Malaysia’s 31st year of participation, demonstrating its enduring commitment to this burgeoning market.