16 News
ABU DHABI RAISES THE ROOF ON ITS ATTRACTIONS
FERRARI WORLD
A thrilling new rollercoaster ride bursts through the venue’s red roof to reach the highest point on Yas Island
Turbo charging its existing offering, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi theme park has launched a new endur- ance challenge ride. An incredible feat of engineering, Turbo Track, which opened last month, reaches speeds of 102 kilometres per hour and takes riders to what is now the highest point on Yas Island, jutting through the red roof. Front-facing and back-facing seats offer two
perspectives, allowing guests a bonus adrenaline rush as they rise and plummet along the track. The 64-metre-high ride was created by the same team behind Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest roller coaster. It becomes the third ride launched
at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi in a 12-month period, after the opening of Flying Aces and Benno’s Great Race in 2016. Jesse Vargas, General Manager, Ferrari World
Abu Dhabi, said: “We’re passionate about creating thrilling and inspiring experiences. Not only does this ride offer heart-pounding thrills, it also gives visitors the chance to see the world through the eyes of a Ferrari test driver. “It’s another first, and I am sure that our
guests, young and old, will be excited to try Turbo Track – if they dare.” ——— Visit stand ME2150
SAUDI ARABIA IS READY FOR BUSINESS
With growth of 12 percent in its meeting and event industry last year, Saudi Arabia is forging ahead to make the most of its newfound status as a destination for business in the Gulf. Tariq Al-Essa, Executive Manager, Saudi Exhi-
bition and Convention Bureau, said: “The confer- ence industry is linked to all economic sectors and has direct and indirect economic impacts, as well as social, cultural and political ones.” Al-Essa added that there were 8,758 events in
2016 – almost half of which took place in Riyadh – and that this represented more than 15 percent of tourism in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia is planning to host 86 trade fairs
in 2017, as opposed to 57 last year, and it plans to grow its MICE industry by a further 20 percent. The nation is also looking to boost the partici-
pation of its citizens in the tourism sector – with an emphasis on improving the quality of jobs. In January, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and
National Heritage signed ‘Saudisation’ agree- ments with several companies, including Makkah Raffles, Riyadh Marriott Hotel and Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski. Its entertainment industry also looks set to boom, with the creation of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA). The GEA has teamed up with American theme park giant Six Flags Entertainment Corp to introduce at least three locations in Saudi Arabia, with the first launching as early as 2020 in Riyadh, to be followed by further sites in Jeddah and the Red Sea coast. Ahmed Aqeel AlKhateeb, GEA Chairman,
said: “This is a significant milestone. We are particularly delighted to welcome international experts who will further help us in our aim of both developing and investing in the burgeoning Saudi entertainment industry.” ——— Visit stand ME4410
ATM NEWS
New for this year is the Digi- tal Transformation Summit at the Travel Tech theatre during today’s show. The much-antic- ipated session from 10.30am to 12.30pm delves into the very latest developments across the digital sphere, and how they impact the tourism industry. Paul Richer from travel technology consultancy Genesys gives his insights and advice, looking at ways in which the industry can adapt to meet the needs of the ever-changing digital landscape. The Travel Tech theatre will also host The New Age Travel Agent session during tomorrow’s show, from 4.50pm to 5.50pm. Vital for the travel trade, the discussion considers how the modern travel agent is carving out a new niche, filling the space between faceless online booking and the custom- er’s need to connect.
DUBAI AIRPORT RETAINS TOP SPOT
Dubai International (DXB) has held its position as the world’s busiest airport. Passenger traffic hit an all-time high of 8.3 million in January, up 9.7 percent from the same month in 2016. The hub welcomed 83.6 million interna-
tional passengers in 2016 – marking a 7.2 percent growth from the previous year. Dubai Airports’ annual traffic report also showed monthly passenger traffic surpassed the seven million mark six times last year, including a record 7.72 million in August and 7.7 million in Decem- ber, the latter up 9.3 percent from 2015. Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports, said:
“After emerging as the world’s number one airport for international passengers in 2014, DXB has established itself as the leader in that cate- gory. With our forecast for 89 million passengers in 2017, DXB is closing the gap on Atlanta and Beijing for the top spot in overall traffic. “We continue to enable that growth and
enhance the passenger experience with top flight infrastructure, streamlined processes and tech- nology,” he added. New carriers, including Nepal Airlines Corpo-
ration and Rossiya launched services to DXB last year, while 11 new passenger destinations were added following network expansion by flydubai, Emirates and other international airlines. India continued to lead as Dubai’s largest annual destination country with 11.44 million
passengers in 2016, up 10.1 percent from 10.39 million in 2015. Saudi Arabia took the second spot with 6.08 million passengers (up 11.3 percent) overtaking the UK at 6.06 million (up 6.7 percent). In terms of destination cities, London placed first with 3.75 million passengers, followed by Doha with three million and Mumbai with 2.35 million. The top growth regions were Eastern Europe (17.5 percent), Asia (11.4 percent) and the Indian subcontinent (9.5 percent). ——— Visit stand ME3340
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