The UAE leads the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region in transport infrastructure development even as the country’s diversification strategy has meant that the travel and tourism industry now comprises 3.5 per cent of overall gross domestic product, according to data released yesterday.
Tourism prospects for the UAE remain buoyant this year despite a global restraint on consumer spending following last year’s credit crunch and a weakening US dollar, Jean-Claude Baumgarten,
President of the London-based World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) told Emirates Business on the sidelines of the ongoing Tourism Development and Investment Market 2008 in Dubai.
“The UAE’s successful diversification strategy has meant that the country has seen a shift away from oil income and a healthy development of all service sectors including travel and tourism. The buoyant economic growth in the region means the travel and tourism industry comprises 3.5 per cent of the UAE’s overall GDP,” said Baumgarten.
The UAE also witnessed the largest government expenditure in the Gulf region on tourism last year, according to Baumgarten. “The UAE is the regional leader in transport infrastructure development and among the top countries in the world in terms of infrastructure ranking,” Baumgarten said.
The UAE ranks seventh in the world in air transport infrastructure, 12th in the world in terms of roads development and connectivity and ninth globally in terms of port infrastructure, according to WTTC research.
The UAE is followed by Qatar, which ranks 35th in the world in terms of air transport infrastructure, Kuwait which ranks 27th in the world in terms of road infrastructure and Bahrain which ranks 26th globally in terms of port development.
“Expectations in 2007 surpassed the results from 2006 in all areas of tourism activities but UAE has experienced major increase in government expenditure, capital investment and visitor exports,” he said. “Forecasts for the next years will be more stable, I think. The Mena region is well above the world average in terms of the travel and tourism industry industry’s contribution to the overall GDP of the country,” Baumgartner said.
As a percentage of GDP, the travel and tourism industry in the Mena region averages around 13 per cent as compared to approximately 10 per cent on average for the rest of the world, according to WTTC statistics.
“Last year, Qatar witnessed almost a 20 per cent increase in the business travel segment, compared to its own figures in the same segment for 2006, while Oman’s move to increase government expenditure on travel and tourism by almost 15 per cent means the country’s [travel and tourism] industry is likely to see stable and consistent growth over the next decade,” Baumgartner said.
Middle East forecast
The 2008 forecast for the industry’s annual growth rate in the Middle East remained constant from last year’s forecast at five per cent even as the forecast for growth in North America, Europe and Africa took a dip from last year’s forecast on the back of restrained consumer spending.
Baumgartner said that while deteriorating economic conditions, particularly in the housing and credit markets across the globe, increased concerns about prospects for the tourism industry this year, Dubai’s travel industry was more or less insulated from its impact due to the excellent infrastructure and myriad choices for different budget segments.
“The US dollar’s weakness is curtailing the travel plans of residents of dollar-bloc countries but it is boosting their inbound tourism,” he said.
On the rising oil prices impacting the industry’s growth globally, Baumgartner said oil prices will see a downward trend in the first half of this year averaging around the $80-mark.
“Higher energy prices are a two-pronged challenge – they squeeze household budgets and raise the cost of a key input for the industry,” he said.
Reference: Here
Despite repercussions of the ongoing global credit crunch, Travel & Tourism leaders today revealed that the industry will moderately be impacted and signalled continued growth rates for 2008 at a reduced pace.
According to the recent research produced by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Oxford Economics (OE), Travel & Tourism entered this recent period on the back of another solid performance in 2007. International tourism arrivals increased in this year by nearly 6 per cent per cent, totalling to nearly 900 million tourists and marking the fourth successive year that arrivals’ growth has exceeded its long-standing trend of 4 per cent (source: UNWTO).
Furthermore, the research also indicated that tourism spending per capita has more than matched these increases. International air passenger traffic also rose at a record 9.3 per cent (source: IATA) from year to year in November.
WTTC President Jean-Claude Baumgarten stated “tourism growth has been particularly rapid in developing countries with the fastest average growth in tourism arrivals in the Middle East region. These countries are not only recognising the development potential of Travel & Tourism and therefore investing heavily in new infrastructure and facilities but their citizens are also seeing rapid economic growth boost their incomes beyond the level where international travel becomes both a feasible and desired option.”
Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing (DTCM) Director General Khalid Bin Sulayem added “a continued policy for tourism has helped Dubai’s Travel & Tourism industry accelerate and this growth will help it also rise above the potential economic downturn.”
Nonetheless the Travel & Tourism industry does face challenges in the year ahead. The deteriorating economic conditions, particularly in the housing and credit markets across the globe are increasing concerns for the industry. However the slowdown is likely to have a limited impact, due to the growth of emerging markets and the easing in monetary policy by central banks.
Higher energy prices are a two pronged challenge as they squeeze household budgets globally and raise the cost of a key input for the Travel & Tourism industry. Baumgarten stated that even this challenge has a positive angle, explaining how “higher revenues are boosting oil producer’ incomes and raising available funds for investment in diversification projects often focussing on tourism’s undoubted potential.”
Dubai certainly represents a nation that has truly embraced Travel & Tourism as a catalyst for economic growth and prosperity. In recognition of the vision and commitment of Dubai Government it will host this year’s Global Travel & Tourism Summit along with pioneering Travel & Tourism companies including DTCM, Emirates Group, Jumeirah International, Nakheel and Dubailand.
The 8th Global Travel & Tourism Summit will be hosted by the Jumeirah Group and will take place on April 20-22, 2008 and will be the world’s most significant public/ private partnership with the objective of driving the agenda on responsibility and the key role that Travel & Tourism plays.
Reference: Here
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is billeted at the Burj Al Arab, the only seven-star hotel in the world and one of the most expensive.
Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye confirmed in an interview that Arroyo was staying in the Burj Al Arab, but he said that the UAE (United Arab Emirates) Emir is paying for her stay.
“She’s a guest of the Emir,” Bunye said.
Bunye could not immediately confirm who among Arroyo’s delegation, which includes Cabinet secretaries, lawmakers, and local government officials, are also billeted at the hotel.
Rates at the hotel range from 7,500 to 50,000 UAE Dirmams a night. One US dollar is equivalent to around 3.6 Dirhams.
Arroyo is in this city to meet with businessmen and launch investment opportunities for overseas Filipino workers. She arrived on Saturday afternoon and will leave on Tuesday morning.
Sitting on reclaimed land and surrounded by a man-made beach, the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab is an imposing sight on the Dubai coast.
A gold-plated ceiling greets guests at the hotel lobby. Inside, gold-plated arches frame the entrances to luxury shops and restaurants.
Reference: Here
The UAE has come out on top of an international index ranking the world’s best destinations for resorts and hotels. The Emirates beat such luxury locales as the Maldives, Australia, Tahiti, and Bermuda in the 2007 Country Brand Index issued by New York-based Future Brands.
The branding consultants, who have offices in Asia Pacific, Middle East, Europe, Latin America and North America, specialise in brand assessments, branding strategy and innovation in a wide range of sectors including travel and tourism, healthcare, finance, aviation and transport.
Lower down in the rankings were well-known holiday destinations including the United States, Canada, Singapore and Malaysia.
The UAE came in second to the United States as the most preferred shopping destination, followed by Singapore, Italy, Japan, France, UK, Canada, Thailand and South Korea.
The index was composed from analysis of new trends, themes and opportunities to rank the top 10 destinations in 22 different categories including history, art and culture, outdoor activities, beaches, natural beauty, rest and relaxation, safety and value for money.
It considered countries that stand out as “strong and successful brands” across the categories, and the rankings took account of qualities that shape a country’s reputation, perception and experiences.
The study found the UAE ranked as the best for resort and lodging facilities because it boasts a wide-variety of hotel accommodation – from family-friendly beach resorts to the world’s only seven-star hotel, Burj Al Arab, in addition to the largest number of new properties under construction.
In Dubai, developments in the pipeline stretch out to 2020 and are in line to deliver 80,000 extra hotel rooms by 2010, with 100,000 people employed in the sector. The UAE’s investment in the tourism industry stands at more than Dh878 billion, with Dubai leading the field with Dh454bn in projects followed by Abu Dhabi with Dh305bn, according to a recent report. The UAE was also awarded third place among the most popular emerging destinations under the category ‘Rising Star’ after Croatia and China, who came in first and second respectively.
For fine dining, the country came in seventh, topped by destinations like France, Italy, Singapore, Japan, the US and UK. The Emirates was also in the top 10 for best business destinations.
The study concluded: “With global wealth and travel becoming accessible to a larger population, we see a dramatic ‘raising of the bar’ in the more affluent tourism sector. The cash-rich ageing population and empty nesters in the Western Hemisphere will drive business for the luxury, indulgence and self-discovery sectors.And places like Dubai are proof that exclusive luxury is alive and well.”
Reference: Here
Today I had visitor from Busan, Korea. She had forgotten a bag of goodies she purchased from the duty free of the Seoul airport.
She realised about the this bag as soon as she reached my home. Me & my wife assured her that she should not panic. We convinced her that Dubai has an efficient system & she was most likely to get the bag back if she only called the right numbers. After 6 or 7 calls, which meant calling a few numbers & holding on for some time ….what a miracle, we were told that her bag was safe with all her items & that she could collect it ASAP.
Within 10 minutes we drove to the airport & got the bag. Our Korean visitor was much impressed..Our visitor will be here with us for a few days. Now that she has been impressed with the city we will try convincing her to invest in Dubai…Will keep you posted.
For those of you, who intend forgetting their cabin baggage, these are the numbers to call if you have landed at Dubai airport terminal I. Tel. No. +9714 2162542 /3 , +9714 2164506
Twin City - Dubai :
Those of you who are curious to know which are the cities which Dubai has teamed up with, here is the updated list as of today.
Dubai signed a twin city agreement with Busan last year. Other cities that are twins to Dubai include Istanbul in Turkey, Geneva in Switzerland, Gold Coast in Australia and Osaka in Japan. Each city has a monument in the Zabeel Park.
Reference: Here
The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has announced the launch of a new online travel reservation system on its hugely-popular website that will save time and money.
Visitors to www.dubaitourism.ae can shop 24×7 for the best possible travel deals on hotel and hotel apartment bookings. In addition to the hotel and hotel apartment bookings, visitors to the website will soon be able to take advantage of car rentals, airline tickets, and tickets to attractions.
Mr. Suhail Buhelaiba, DTCM Director Information Technology, said: “There has been a tremendous demand for the online reservations facility for all that Dubai offers to the visitors. The DTCM has tied up with the market leader Travelocity to bring the best service.”
Travelocity is working with all the properties in Dubai to guarantee the best room rates.
Travelers can select from over 185 hotels and hotel apartments in Dubai, 28 car rental companies, all major cruise lines and hundreds of airlines to book travel services instantly and securely.
The Dubaitourism.ae hotel booking engine offers the quality and selection of major hotel brands at discounted rates and features full color hotel brochures. To accommodate the needs of global customers, hotel rooms can be booked in 12 languages and in over 160 currencies.
The airlines booking system, to be integrated early next year, is based on Travelocity’s Flight Navigatorsm, which empowers the visitor with the ability to execute advanced searches, scan fares and seat availability, compare dates, airlines and much more. An innovative feature of the airlines search indicates how many seats are left on a particular flight, alerting them that a particular fare may no longer be available soon.
The Car Rental Reservation Service, to be announced soon, will offer price comparisons in from up to five suppliers within the search results. This will include a matrix of available car classes and pricing for easy comparison of rates.
The user-friendly website attracts an average of 1.5 million page views a month. The website offers a wealth of useful information and online services. The website is available in six languages - English, Arabic, German, French, Spanish and Japanese.
All the brochures and publications are available for browsing and downloading at the website in addition to Dubai map, videos and photographs. A Web camera, the Dubai Map and hotel directory remains equally popular.
The DTCM has been a front-runner among the local government organizations in utilizing the Information Technology to promote tourism and trade to the emirate in addition to e-Services in line with the vision and objectives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Reference: Here
It’s the world’s fastest-growing city with gleaming skyscrapers and ultra-modern shopping malls - but it’s still fun to get back to basics in Dubai.
Drive 45 minutes beyond the heart of the city and you feel as though you’re transported back in time as the mirrored glass skyline recedes to make way for an enormous expanse of desert.
The Margham Desert Conservation Reserve is truly awesome. Spanning 235sq km, it is protected as the natural habitat of gazelles and the Arabian onyx and is worth a trip just for the photo opportunities alone.
We fancied a bit more of an adrenaline rush, however, and signed up for a morning desert jeep safari with excursion company Arabian Adventures.
After hearing that Robbie Williams took the same trip on his recent tour stop in Dubai, we knew we’d made a good move. If it’s good enough for the prince of pop…
Our guide, Roshan, had been Robbie’s driver and while I secretly hoped that Mr Williams had screamed like a girl while riding the dunes, the man at the wheel informed us his superstar passenger had been the very image of composed calm.
Never mind, I did enough screaming for both of us.
The peaks and troughs of the dunes stretched out like a sandy roller-coaster ride but expert driver Roshan’s instincts were as sharp as a desert rat.
He took us on an exhilarating hourlong ride with a few hairy moments thrown in for good measure as the jeep slipped and slid its way down the sandy slopes.
For the complete Bedouin experience, you can also have a bash at camel riding or enjoy dinner and belly dancing in a desert camp but our stay was too short for an extended trip. We’ll leave that for our return.
At just over seven hours’ flight time from Scotland and with daily direct Emirates flights from Glasgow, it’s no wonder Dubai is a hotspot with Scots.
There’s year-round sunshine, it’s a shoppers’ paradise and the hotel accommodation is first class without costing the earth.
We stayed at the Residence and Spa, one of three properties which make up the fabulous One & Only Royal Mirage.
Situated on Jumeirah Beach, the resort has 1km of private coastline for sunbathing and eight restaurants where you’ll be spoiled for choice without getting a knockout blow to the wallet.
The food is surprisingly reasonable for a five-star joint and you can easily fit in three courses for 30 quid.
We loved Nina, an Asian restaurant with a contemporary twist, and Celebrities, a fine dining eaterie with dishes from a young Kiwi chef that could get Gordon Ramsay hot under the collar.
If total relaxation is what you’re after, there’s a Givenchy spa in the hotel, a Turkish steam room and a fab French pedicure studio.
But it would be a shame not to venture a little further afield and indulge in a spot of retail therapy.
If you’re planning a trip between January 24 and February 24, then you’re in luck. You’ll be in town for the annual shopping festival when prices are slashed by up to 50 per cent in most shops.
Don’t worry if your dates don’t tie in though, there are bargains all year round, especially if bling is your thing.
Jewellery - gold and diamonds, in particular - can be less than half the UK price so a trip to either the city’s Gold Souk or Gold and Diamond Park is a must.
For clothes, the nearby Mall of the Emirates, with more than 400 stores, is a shopper’s paradise. And just to prove Dubai really is a city of contrasts, the shopping centre is also home to Ski Dubai, a 22,500square metre indoor ski resort. So, if the fancy takes you, you can bake yourself on the beach all day, then swap your suntan oil for winter woollies and enjoy an evening on the slopes. Bizarre.
With the city growing faster than the Beckhams’ bank balance, no two trips need to be the same. You could try out something new every day for a fortnight and still have plenty of things left on a “to do” list for your next trip. We never had time for a day at the races Dubaistyle, or a night cruise on a traditional dhow boat but we’ll be back to give both a try.
The city will be massive when it’s complete. Dubailand is the most eagerly awaited tourist attraction, a huge theme park split into six sections, due for completion by 2010.
As well as rollercoaster rides, massive new shopping malls, science centres and wellness spas, there will be world-class sporting facilities with a Tiger Woods golf academy and Manchester United soccer school.
It’s easy to see why the city has been dubbed the superstar of the Middle East and the superstar treatment is not to be missed.
Reference: Here
Getting all your Christmas shopping done then splurging again at the post-Christmas sales not enough for your bad case of the shopping bug? Then it’s time you booked a flight to the Dubai Shopping Festival which this time ’round takes place from January 24 to February 24, 2008.
The Dubai Shopping Festival is basically the ultimate in tourism marketing, in which retailers offer prizes to shoppers as well as huge discounts, a scheme which recently has been bringing at least an extra 3 million people to Dubai each time the event is held.
The colorful website that comes along with the shop-fest makes all kinds of odd claims–it even has a “fake” poll to hook visitors into taking a Desert Safari between shopping stints–and it’s also full of interesting statistics about how much money the Dubai Shopping Festival rakes in a year. Dubai is still one of those odd destinations that we’re not quite convinced by, but it does at least seem a popular destination for shopaholics wanting to escape a northern winter.
Reference: Here
With unprecedented global air travel fuelled by the economic boom in emerging markets such as China, India and the Gulf, the aviation sector has never seemed more lucrative. On Tuesday, for example, Prestige Jet was launched out of Abu Dhabi to run private jets and this region has also seen Sharjah-based Air Arabia grow from strength to strength since its launch in 2003.
However, the process of new airlines getting off the ground and staying in the skies may not be that easy. MAXjet Airways ceased operations on Monday – leaving jets on tarmacs and stranding passengers – as the all-business class airline said it would file for bankruptcy protection. MAXjet blamed soaring fuel prices and the deteriorating credit market for the “drastic measure”.
But analysts said the company’s failure may raise questions about the viability of all-business class airlines.
MAXjet launched in 2005 and offered ‘all-premium’ flights between London Stansted, New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. But analysts said it could not compete with deeper-pocketed rivals such as American Airlines. “High fuel prices were a contributing factor, but American’s inauguration in October of [service between New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport and London’s Stansted Airport]… was the coup de grace,” said Robert Mann, an airline consultant in Port Washington, New York.
While business class service can be very profitable to airlines, it is also a very “thin” market, Mann said, serving, typically, “40 to 70 seats per flight, depending on the route and aircraft”.
Any loss of market share to a competitor can be devastating, particularly to an all business-class carrier like MAXjet that did not have revenue from economy passengers – or a robust route system – to fall back on.
“They could not get the current premium class passengers away from major carriers,” said Mike Boyd, president of The Boyd Group, an Evergreen, Colorado, airline consultancy.
Analysts suggest flyer loyalty – to bigger carriers – makes the model followed by MAXjet and international rivals like Silverjet and Eos.
“The business class challenge is that there’s strong brand loyalty [frequent flyer programmes], plus there’s some corporate deals major carriers offer,” Boyd said. “These off-brand all-premium carriers will struggle.”
Could these challenges also be applied in this region where Prestige Jet and other potential operators hope to capitalise on the sector’s growth?
Dubai-based ArabJet is a proposed all-business class carrier that has already postponed its launch date twice. Speaking to Emirates Business, Mohammed El Shanti, the airline’s chief executive officer, disclosed the challenges he has faced.
So, will ArabJet be flying anytime soon? “Yes,” says El Shanti, seemingly undaunted by the challenges that his company has faced over the past couple of years.
“We have no reason to believe that it [ArabJet] will not fly out of Dubai. At the moment, we have about 10 UAE investors, who are dealing with us professionally and are willing to provide the initial $50 million [Dh183.5m] startup capital. It is difficult to say when we will definitely launch but if things work out well, we are looking at the next six months,” he said.
Richard Aboulafia, of Teal Group Corp, a US-based aerospace and defence consulting firm, said ArabJet’s delay is not an exclusive case.
“Many all-business class carriers have failed or been delayed all over the world. I don’t think ArabJet’s delay reflects poorly on the UAE. Most countries are judged by their national champion carrier, for better or worse. One reason business-class carriers would have a tough time in the UAE is that the national airlines, especially Emirates, do a terrific job catering to business travellers.
Another newcomer, Kang Pacific Airlines (KPA), has made monthly changes to its launch schedule since it went public about its plans in August. KPA’s self-made claims as the ‘fifth airline of the UAE’ and ‘the airline of Fujairah’ have also put it in a controversial light, particularly following official statements from civil aviation authorities that it has not yet applied for the required air operator’s certificate. But KPA’s founder, Indian businessman Paul Kang, seems determined on proving that this airline can and will fly out of Fujairah.
In November, the airline sponsored advertisements on their official website, as well as on a local television network, announcing special Christmas fares for flights from Fujairah to Clark International Airport in Angeles City in the Philippines.
Although Kang refused to provide updates regarding the airline’s operations, Emirates Business has learned that KPA had put off its supposed December flight and that it is tentatively targeting late February 2008 for its maiden voyage.
Abid Riaz, aviation analyst at EFG-Hermes Dubai, said the Gulf has more than enough space for industry players like KPA wanting to tap the low-cost market.
“I guess the real issues would be whether a potential airline can create a demand that wasn’t earlier addressed and if it can implement a sustainable business model. Can it replicate the success of existing airlines and will people be willing to travel, for instance, from Dubai to Fujairah in order to avail of their service?”
Citing Air Arabia as an example, Riaz said the Sharjah-based carrier’s operational matrix successfully targeted a particular segment of the region’s travel market. “The growth of Air Arabia has been exponential – from breaking even 18 months after it was launched in 2003, to becoming highly profitable in 2006.”
In addition, Riaz said the backing of a local government can also influence the success of a startup airline. “If an airline is backed by a local government, it enjoys preferential treatment like landing rights. Airport expansion may also be undertaken to accommodate its increasing fleet.”
Meanwhile, another new entrant to the market, RAK Airways, managed to finally take off on November 29 despite a tough start. The highly anticipated fourth national carrier of the UAE had to weather three launch postponements and two changes of chief executive officers in less than two years.
UAE’s newest carriers?
ARAB JET
An ambitious business-only airline that aims to be in the same league as Silverjet (United Kingdom) and L’Avion (France), the Dubai-based Arabjet hopes to offer flights to Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Manama, Amman, Cairo, Beirut, Tehran, Doha and Muscat. But in order to realise its plans of acquiring, and eventually expanding, its fleet of two leased Airbus A319 corporate jetliners, it needs a capital investment of $100 million (Dh365 million).
CEO: Mohammed El Shanti
ORIGINAL LAUNCH DATE: First quarter 2006
CAUSE OF DELAY: Failed negotiations with potential Saudi investors
CURRENT SITUATION: Co-ordinating with new investors in UAE and Qatar
NEW LAUNCH DATE: Unconfirmed
KANG PACIFIC
Attempting to set up its hub at the Fujairah International Airport, Kang Pacific has been showing an unwavering determination to launch its service to the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom. With an initial capital of $10 million (Dh36.5 million), this private low-cost carrier plans to lease a McDonnell Douglas DC-10 aircraft for its operations.
CEO: Paul Kang
ORIGINAL LAUNCH DATE: October 2007
CAUSE OF DELAY: Undisclosed
CURRENT SITUATION: Preparations are underway with bookings expected to be available by late November
NEW LAUNCH DATE: Tentatively, February 2008
RAK AIRWAYS
As the UAE’s highly awaited fourth national carrier, RAK Airways has been waiting in the wings for more than a year. Setting its hub at the Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, the airline has launched its service to Beirut and also has active plans to offer scheduled commercial flights to Bangladesh, Bulgaria, India, Nepal, Qatar, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Its industrial objectives are backed by a substantial capital investment of $411 million (Dh1.5 billion).
CEO: Jack Romero (February to September 2006), Kishu Teckchandani (February to May 2007), Captain Khalid Almeer (July 2007 to date)
ORIGINAL LAUNCH DATE: End-2006
CAUSE OF DELAY: Acquisition of route access rights
CURRENT SITUATION: Operational
NEW LAUNCH DATE: November 29, 2007
After being tightlipped about its plans, the Ras Al Khaimah government-backed airline last month began its thrice-a-week service to Beirut, with plans to expand its route network to include Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bulgaria, India, Nepal, Qatar and Tanzania.
Earlier reports mentioned that, although the carrier operates charter flights to Turkey using a Boeing B757 aircraft, its full commercial launch has been put on hold following the acquisition of route access rights to India and Iran.
RAK Airways’s fitful start has not dampened its promising entry into the aviation market, experts say.
According to a Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (Capa) report published in August, “Ras Al Khaimah is a late mover in the increasingly congested Middle East skies, but it could develop an effective niche role, particularly in the cargo segment, in the years to come”.
Undoubtedly, the UAE’s diverse economic opportunities, open skies policy and strategic location have stimulated a phenomenal growth in its aviation industry. Capa projects revenues from the country’s travel and tourism sector will stand at about $33.9bn (Dh124.4bn) by the end of the year, 65 per cent higher than the income generated three years ago.
Reference: Here
GMG Airlines, the only private airline from Bangladesh operating on international routes, shall be endorsing its presence in Dubai by operating a daily flight, between Bangladesh and Dubai, with effect from February 1, 2008.
Commenting on the new service, Mr. Virendra Nautiyal, Executive Director, GMG Airlines, said: “We are pleased to announce our Dhaka- Dubai service. We are certain that our service will benefit thousands of expatriates from Bangladesh residing in the Gulf region. The service will also act as a catalyst to increase trading activities between Bangladesh and the GCC region”
He added: “Our Dubai-Dhaka service will also benefit Nepal and India bound travelers. We have connecting flights to Kathmandu and Kolkata respectively from Dhaka with in a short transit time.”
GMG Airlines started its international operations in September 2004 with the Chittagong-Kolkata service. The airline has come a long way since its maiden international service in terms of adding new destinations and increasing frequencies of its services. Today, GMG Airlines connects Dhaka to Bangkok, Delhi, Kathmandu, Kolkata and Kuala Lumpur.
Reliability, on-time performance, flexibility to travel, safety, competitive fares, quality service at all passenger interaction points are the hallmark of GMG Airlines.
Notes and contacts
About GMG Airlines
GMG Airlines started its operations in April 1998 connecting different cities of Bangladesh. The airline changed the concept of domestic air travel in Bangladesh by providing exceptional service to passengers, thus making it the airline of choice in Bangladesh in no time.
GMG Airlines started its international operations in September 2004, making it the first private airline in Bangladesh to start flying to destinations outside the country.
GMG Airlines is owned by GMG Group, a business conglomerate with interests in textiles and manufacturing.
Reference: Here