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  • News: Middle East carriers top global passenger growth

    Middle East airlines posted the strongest growth rates for January with a 14.3% increase prominent, in accordance with the newest report from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

    The increase renowned was nearly evenly matched by a 14.4% growth in capacity, the report found, while load factors for the region stood at 78.6% for the month.

    The rate of growth in air travel within the region far exceeded the worldwide average, said the report, which noted that 1 / 4 of the rise in international air travel in January in comparison to October was carried by Middle East airlines.

    IATA said Middle East carriers have benefited from network expansion into emerging markets where demand for air travel have been supported by robust economic growth.

    Outside the region, the aviation body said the worldwide air travel demand statistics for January show a continuation of the uptick in passenger travel that began on the end of 2012.
    Overall, demand was up 2.7% at the previous January that’s slightly prior to the two.2% expansion in capacity. Load factors stood at 77.1%.

    “Passenger travel is growing consistent with business confidence levels. Recent months have seen some positive economic signs emerge in both america and China, and the Eurozone crisis seems to have stabilized,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

    Airlines in emerging markets have taken the best share of the expansion in passenger travel over recent months. On international markets, half the expansion in air travel during the last 4 months was carried by Asia-Pacific airlines.

    By contrast, European and North American airlines continue to record the slowest growth rates on international markets. “In contrast to the full international market trend, European airlines have seen no growth in international passenger volumes since October 2012,” IATA said. “Although the height of the Eurozone crisis appears to have subsided, several economies inside the region are facing slow or no economic growth and high unemployment rates.”

    The report also warned of different factors that can impede air travel growth around the globe, including high oil prices and potential fallout from US budget cuts. “But inspite of those headwinds—real and potential—we still see underlying support for continued and potentially even strengthened growth,” Tyler said.

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  • Destinations where hotels are the star attraction

    We all travel for our own reasons; whether it’s to get a break from everyday life, to take a look at local cuisine, or to take a look at a well-liked attraction. But have you travelled simply to visit a selected hotel Well, if you’re searching for a break from the tried-and-true chains, or one more reason to take a holiday, the travel experts at Hotels.com® have you ever covered. For a completely unique sleeping experience Hotels.com looked to its Hotel Price Index™ (HPI™) as inspiration for this list of eight hotels where an overnight stay is also as memorable because the trip itself.

    Hotel:Featherbed Railroad Company
    Location: Nice, California, U.S.
    What makes it stand out In case you grew up with Thomas the Tank Engine, this hotel will make your childhood dreams come true. The hotel features nine railway cabooses, all individually decorated in themes starting from Las Vegas bordello to Easy Rider, which actually comes with an “Easy Glider” chair with saddlebags, Harley Davidson touches and a headboard with handlebars. In line with the HPI, if you’re Canadian you would already be planning a visit to this popular state, which has two Californian cities at the Top 10 International Destinations list. So we predict a trip to “Nice” just is sensible!

    Hotel: Capsule Hotel and Sauna Cosmo Plaza Akabane
    Location: Tokyo, Japan
    What makes it stand out Because the name suggests, it’s not a gigantic space. In point of fact it’s just large enough for travellers to crawl in and get caught up on sleep. Not for the claustrophobic traveller, this contemporary sleeping area is worth sorting out for those searching for a futuristic experience – plus if you’re on a good budget, this feature is amazingly wallet-friendly. This city is likewise increasingly popular among Canadians, cracking the end 50 International Destinations list in 2012 to take a seat at number 31.

    Hotel: Hotel Im Wasserturm
    Location: Cologne, Germany
    What makes it stand out A stay on this cool hotel gets you an inside view, literally, of a few of Germany’s history. This landmark is the largest water tower of the 1800s and even though it was redesigned inside to deal with 88 rooms, it maintains its classic heritage.

    Hotel: Jumbo Stay
    Location: Arlanda, Sweden
    What makes it stand out The Ice Hotel has some serious competition, as this pick is constructed from a grounded 747 (that’s a jumbo jet for non-plane enthusiasts). The décor and colors are an homage to the 1970s – called the golden era of air travel. There are 25 guest rooms with one located within the cockpit, plus the rooms come equipped with LCD TVs where you are able to view the schedule of exits.

    Hotel: Sarah Cruise
    Location: Venice, Italy
    What makes it stand out There’s no better solution to get into the Venetian mood than by sleeping at the water. This eco-friendly, 25-room boat is basically a bed and breakfast so that you can spend your mornings dining at the deck (weather permitting needless to say). Ever popular Venice is a go-to for love. The town sailed up four spots in 2012 at the HPI Top 50 International Destinations list to number 26.

    Hotel: Madonna Inn Resort & Spa
    Location: San Luis Obispo, California, U.S.
    What makes it stand out Contrary to its name, this property was not named after the famous entertainer – even though it is simply as unique. It includes 110 guest rooms with names like “Austrian Suite,” “Safari Room,” and “Jungle Rock” that feature a lot of eclectic designs to cater to quite a number tastes. Fans of “The Bachelor” might recognize this property because it was featured in Season 14.
    Hotel: Burj Al Arab
    Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
    What makes it stand out While this hotel isn’t for the budget-conscious (it’s upwards of $2,000 per night), it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to feel like royalty. Shaped like a sail and found on a personal island with a non-public beach, this hotel takes luxury to new levels. While we predict this extravagant city would entice everyone, it has experienced increased interest from Canadian travellers and in 2012 entered the head 50 International Destinations list at number 44.

    Hotel: Dream Cave Pension
    Location: Goreme, Turkey
    What makes it stand out This hotel is found in a place of Turkey known for its unusual rock formations, so it only is sensible that they’d build one right into a hotel, right Although the encircling area is amazingly beautiful, the choice of staying in a fairy chimney makes it an excellent enough selling point for us.

    It’s time to get inspired and simply because you sleep in a hotel, doesn’t mean it ought to be boring. For more travel inspiration, the HPI is a superb resource. Whether you’re trying to find five-star hotels that won’t leave you broke, or the following up-and-coming destination, this report and website will provide you with the interior scoop. So get packing.

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  • News: Dubai welcomes record 10 million visitors

    Visitor numbers to Dubai increased by 9.3% in 2012, with the town welcoming greater than 10 million visitors over a 12 months period for the 1st time in its history.

    The results were announced by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

    Increases in key indicators including hotel guest numbers, nights, average length of stay and hotel revenues, demonstrate Dubai’s strengthening position as among the world’s most suitable destinations.

    H.E. Helal Almarri, Director General of DTCM, said: “For the 1st time in our city’s history we’ve crossed the 10 million threshold in visitor numbers. This continual year-on-year growth is because of loads of factors including the coordinated city-wide destination management strategy; our world-class infrastructure; our location on the crossroads of East and West; and our unrelenting efforts to augment our already diverse and compelling tourism offer.”

    Key indicators of Dubai’s success in attracting visitors in 2012 include:

    • Figures for Hotel Guests and Cruise Passengers rising to approximately 10.16 million – a rise of 9.3% on 2011 figures
    • Hotel Guests numbering 9.96 million – up 9.5% compared with 9.1 million in 2011
    • Guest Nights increasing by 14%, numbering 37,445,453 in 2012, in comparison with 32,848,190 in 2011
    • Hotel Revenues increasing by 17.9% at Dhs18.82bn.

    The status of Dubai as a location of choice for hotel operators is demonstrated by an influx of latest hotel openings during 2012, with the choice of hotel establishments increasing from 575 to 599.

    Openings in 2012 included five-star properties inclusive of Jumeirah Creekside, Fairmont The Palm and the JW Marriott Marquis, and various new Hotel Apartments with rooms within the latter category increasing by 10% to greater than 23,000. But the additional supply has not had an adverse effect on room rates.

    Combined with the pointy increase in hotel revenues and a growth within the Average Length of Stay, it’s more likely to see more hotel operators decide to build in Dubai and a whole lot of new properties are slated to open during 2013 including Sofitel Dubai The Palm Resort & Spa and The Oberoi Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road.

    On the figures, H.E. Helal Almarri commented: “The growth across each indicator is a welcome confirmation of Dubai’s ever-increasing appeal and a testament to the aggressive marketing and promotional agenda of DTCM in positioning Dubai because the major tourist hub of the region and a world destination of choice. The increasing average length of stay and the rising collection of hotel apartments is evidence of a growing trend in people and families visiting Dubai for longer periods – historically town was seen by some markets as a stopover destination but lately it has become the destination.”

    Arab markets continue to supply an important percentage of Dubai’s overall visitor numbers and 2012 saw 30% more visitors from Saudi Arabia, that’s the city’s primary source market. Europe contributes over 1 / 4 of the city’s hotel guests and the past year saw a considerable 54% rise within the collection of Russians coming to Dubai. an important increase in Chinese visitors coming to town has also been seen, with a 28% rise within the period demonstrating the appeal that town has to the burgeoning middle class of China. The Chinese market will stay a key focus of Dubai’s marketing efforts because the city looks to capitalise at the circa Dhs202bn that Chinese travellers spend per year worldwide.

    H.E. Helal Almarri continued: “The growth in visitors is partly associated with the increasing cross-border trade and investment ties that the town is making with growing economies akin to China. As these links continue to develop, visitors from these nations will continue to rise.

    “It’s encouraging to peer that visitor numbers from the entire markets through which DTCM has a representative office continue to swell, demonstrating the role that our overseas offices play in helping to drive growth in both intra-regional traffic and in arrivals from other key source markets reminiscent of India, the united kingdom, the usa, Russia, Germany and China.”

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  • Twice Michelin starred chef Vineet Bhatia introduces menu to Ziya on the Oberoi, Mumbai

    Chef Vineet Bhatia returns to The Oberoi, Mumbai’s Ziya fine dining restaurant from Wednesday 6th to Monday 11th March 2013 to personally introduce a brand new “Spring Fling” menu.  Guests can savour vegetarian and non-vegetarian options all prepared in Chef Vineet’s innovative style of‘evolved India cuisine’, that will be available for the Spring season until end of of May 2013.

    The non-vegetarian menu will include multiple courses with dishes including baked Sesame-coriander fish tikka accompanied with beetroot-channa dal upma (semolina), asparagus korma and roti strands; Spring chicken-achar (pickle) roast and lemon-pudina khichdi (mint rice) with Braised chicken jus, preserved lemons, spinach and spring onion Chenna chutney and Coconut crusted lamb chop with apple gojju, Pulled Raan Bakharkhani (roti) calzone and Malabari lamb sauce.

    The vegetarian tasting menu includes Sesame-coriander cauliflower tikka with beetroot-channa dal upma (semolina), asparagus korma and roti strands; Achari bharwan aloo (pickled potatoes) and lemon-pudina khichdi (mint rice), with Moong dal lentils and preserved lemons, spinach and spring onion and Chenna chutney; Coconut-cheese artichoke bake with saunf-aubergine tadka garnish and paneer-sundried tomato Bakharkhani (roti) calzone.

    The meal will end with Strawberry phirni (rice pudding) topped with a white chocolate-pink peppercorn disc, Kiwi-pineapple cubes, caramelised popcorn rabdi (cream) and Toasted almond dust.

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  • Tourism Council of Bhutan launches new website

    The Tourism Council of Bhutan has launched a brand new website, offering travel information and advice to all visitors to the rustic.

    The website includes an interactive map, which breaks the rustic down into Eastern, Central and Western regions, providing information and locations of all available trekking routes, Dzongs, monasteries, hotels and attractions in each.

    It also will give visitors an overall impression of what to anticipate in Bhutan, from trekking inside the Himalayas, to festivals, bird watching, meditation, cycling, rocking climbing and fishing.

    Practical travel advice from the tourism council, comparable to visa applications, money, customs and languages is out there and all visitors are encouraged to ascertain the web site before travelling.

    Tourism is one in all Bhutan’s largest economies and a concern for the Bhutanese government.

    Founded at the principle of sustainability, tourism in the country is environmentally and ecologically friendly, socially and culturally acceptable and economically viable.

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