Miral partners with Plug and Play ADGM to nurture innovation among Travel & Hospitality startups
Plug and Play and Miral’s program will commence in Q3 of 2019, with the first batch of selected startups residing at ADGM.
The Middle East leads growth in international tourism
Confidence in global tourism has started to pick up again after slowing down at the end of 2018, according to the latest UNWTO Confidence Index survey.
Beirut and Cairo lead hotel occupancy growth
Lebanon is set to prepare for a promising summer tourism season with indications of improved tourist volumes after the travel ban lift by Saudi Arabia. The UAE is also expected to lift its travel ban.
1.3 million hotel guests in Abu Dhabi in Q1 2019
Results driven by a boost in average room revenue, ARR, which increased by almost 15 percent coupled with an occupancy rate of 79 percent.
Over three million tourists visited Oman in 2018, half of them from the GCC
The number of hotels also grew by 12 percent in 2017-18, resulting in a eight percent growth in the amount of rooms available in the country.
Machine learning and AI will revolutionize GCC tourism businesses
If implemented effectively – the latest innovations and tech advancements will help them to ‘sell travel’ more effectively in the future.
Lebanon’s tourists arrivals grew by four percent y-o-y in Q1 2019
According to the latest data by Global Blue, globe shopper spending increased by 12 percent in Q1. Saudi tourists represent 15 percent of the total tourist spending, with an increase of 45 percent versus prior year.
Saudi tourism sector to be valued at USD 70 billion in 2019
More relaxed access to visas, as well as combining religious and leisure travel, will be key growth drivers.
New IFC fund to boost tourism in Egypt
This goes in line with Egypt’s ministry of tourism aims to establish a private equity fund targeting financially impaired hotels and tourism establishments.
Cairo, Riyadh, Istanbul, and Dubai on WTTC’s global cities’ readiness for tourism
The index measures 50 global gateway cities into one of five levels of ‘readiness’ and provides actionable solutions to foster sustainable growth.
