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gulf states
Abu Dhabi. “Instead of just going for a few days,
I’m now booking people for 10-14 nights. The Emirates Palace, with its own private beach, is perfect for those who want a beach holiday.” Generally speaking, the Arab Spring and the ongoing terrorism threats in the Middle East are not connected to the Gulf region in the minds of British travellers. Giles Hawke, Executive Director UK and Ireland for MSC Cruises, says: “The great thing about British holidaymakers is their pragmatism. As a nation we’re very able to work out for ourselves the difference between a real and perceived threat. “Dubai has built its reputation as an incredibly safe and secure destination that is great for all types of visitor and there is absolutely no evidence that unrest in other parts of the world is affecting trade. “MSC Cruises has real faith in our UAE winter programme. For 2014/15 we are putting MSC Orchestra in the region, which is a signifi cant increase in capacity on our operation last year with MSC Lirica. People are excited by the variety that cruising there offers, visiting ultra- modern cities as well as the more traditional side of Arabia with calls at places that are pretty diffi cult to get to other than by sea.”
What’s new Hotels: In Qatar, the super-luxurious Banana
Island Resort Doha by Anantara (
doha.anantara.com), developed by Al Rayyan Hospitality, will open by the end of year as an idyllic holiday retreat with over-water villas. Rotana is to open fi ve new hotels in Dubai in the next fi ve years, increasing the company’s total number of properties in the emirate to 20. They include two in the busy Creek district in 2017; two Arjaan Hotel Apartments by Rotana properties in 2018 and one under the Rotana Hotels and Resort brand. In Bahrain, Rotana is to manage a 311-room luxury property, ART Rotana, close to Bahrain International Airport.
“Suggest guests staying at Dubai’s Atlantis The Palm make a reservation at Nobu restaurant. I recommend the sushi and
chicken teriyaki” NICOLA HANWELL, KUONI PERSONAL TRAVEL EXPERT
Jumeirah Group (
jumeirah.com) has launched a contemporary lifestyle brand hotel, called VENU and is in discussions with developers to open the fi rst VENU hotel on Bluewaters
Island in Dubai. Airlines: Etihad Airways (
etihad.com) will launch non-stop daily fl ights between Edinburgh and Abu Dhabi on June 8 2015. Qatar Airways’ (
qatarairways.com) fi rst new A380-800 aircraft began operating on one of its daily London-Doha
services in October. Attractions: Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi, is offering special promotions on al fresco dining at its six awarding-winning restaurants until summer 2015. The Louvre Abu Dhabi museum will open
towards the end of 2015, while a hop-on, hop-off Jalboot ferry service around Abu Dhabi Island, Yas and Saadiyat, is due to launch shortly. Work has begun on building a world-class theme park in Dubai, which will include LEGOLAND Dubai, due for completion in 2016.
Tourism talk “We have experienced an upsurge in our beach offering with the recent opening of the Nation Riviera on the Corniche,
Previous page: The inviting beaches of Oman and a prized falcon. This page, top: A chef at Jumeirah Etihad Towers with, below, the Jumeirah Beach and Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai
which is a private beach club for The St. Regis Abu Dhabi, an expansion of the established Hiltonia Beach Club, also on the Corniche, and a complete renovation of the Bayshore beach product of the InterContinental Abu Dhabi. “After a period of three years of the international
sellingtravel.co.uk
concert season, Abu Dhabi Classics, which runs from October this year until May next year, is bringing some of the world’s fi nest musicians from East and West. Also new is the design of a permanent cruise terminal for our Mina Zayed port, which we have just unveiled. Ground clearance for the project has started and we anticipate a 2016 opening. The terminal will be able to handle three cruise ships at a time.” Sultan Al Dhaheri, Acting Executive Director of Tourism, Abu Dhabi Tourim and Culture Authority
Where to book it MSC CRUISES - 020 3426 3000
The seven-night Dubai round-trip, calling at Abu Dhabi, Khor Al Fakkan, Muscat and Khasab on MSC Orchestra, leads in at £859pp including fl ights with Emirates and transfers. The ‘Allegrisimo’ all-inclusive drinks package costs £22pp per day.
msccruises.co.uk COX & KINGS – 020 7873 5000 A four-night stay at the recently opened Alila Jabal Akhdar, Oman, is from £1,285pp, including Oman Air fl ights, private transfers and breakfast. The property is set in a stunning and previously unexplored mountainous area of Oman, in the Al Hajar mountains. It is the fi rst luxury resort in the area.
coxandkings.co.uk TRAVEL 2 – 0800 0224 Five nights for the price of four at the fi ve- star Habtoor Grand Beach Resort and Spa, Dubai, on selected dates in June 2015, is priced from £669pp in a resort garden room, with
breakfast, fl ights and transfers.
travel2.com CORINTHIAN TRAVEL – 020 3583 6089 A new 10-night Emirates Explorer Tour is a private tour through six of the UAE’s seven Sheikhdoms and the remote Omani province of Musandam. Prices start at £2,295pp, not including fl ights.
corinthiantravel.co.uk •
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