gulf states FEATURE 51
“Families always ask for accessible child-friendly activities. With the world’s largest indoor theme park, Ferrari World, Yas Marina Circuit, and Yas Waterworld, Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island is ideal”
CHRISTOPHER JORDAN, KEY ACCOUNT MANAGER, ROTANA
fair to say Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Oman have benefi ted from instability elsewhere.” And Karen Munro, Product Manager for Travel
2, added: “The tourist-driven areas of UAE and Oman have not been affected by the political changes in the Middle East and tourism continues to grow from strength to strength.”
What’s new Airlines: On May 15 Qatar Airways (qatarairways.
com/tradepartners) started an all-business class Heathrow-Doha service. On May 28 the airline launched an Edinburgh-Doha service, while on June 17 it will introduce an Airbus A380 to one of its six daily fl ights out of Heathrow. A number of agency incentives and competitions are being run this summer. Emirates Airlines (
emirates.com) has introduced an A380 onto its Gatwick-Dubai service to complement superjumbos already operating out of Heathrow and Manchester. Meanwhile Gulf Air (gulfair.
com) is retrofi tting the A330s that operate its Heathow-Bahrain service. Flat-bed seats are now available in Falcon Gold class and the economy cabin has been revamped to include state-of-the-art in-fl ight entertainment systems. Luxury Accommodation: Asian-themed hotel Anantara (
anantara.com) in Dubai is ready to sell through various operators. There has been a rush of new hotels in the tiny emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, including the Hilton Al Hamra (
hilton.com), which offers an all-inclusive upgrade option, and the much sought after Waldorf Astoria (
waldorfastoria.hilton.com/Dubai) on The Palm. Operators: This summer Gold Medal (
goldmedal.co.uk) is running an incentive, which will culminate in 40 top-selling travel agents winning a place on a Mega Fam. The winners will be sent to different destinations on the Emirates network before being brought back to Atlantis, The Palm (
atlantisthepalm.com), for a few nights fun and learning in Dubai.
www.sellinglonghaul.com
Tourism talk
“The British and Irish are visiting Oman in increasing numbers. Last year 133,529 Brits made the trip, up
10% on the previous year. “There were 7,452 from the Emerald Isle, a 21%
boost. This year in Oman’s capital city, Muscat, more than 720 new rooms will be available to sell. “A new aquarium, ports and a national railway project are under construction. The Salalah Rotana Resort and the Alila
Jabal Akhdar hotel have already opened this year. The Azaiba Hotel in Muscat and the Khasab Hotel in Musandam will open in the coming months. The Views, a newly refurbished eco-retreat near Al Hamra with unique pod- style rooms, opened at the end of 2013. “Before the end of 2014 Oman expects to open
new terminals at its airports in Muscat and Salalah. “This year Oman is promoting niche markets like bird watching and scuba diving, and the
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