News & Stories

Augsburg. "Inshallah!" If and when something is going to happen, it is up to Allah. Many people in Dubai use this expression. Most of them are smiling and know that something is going to happen. Those, who are not so sure, make a longer emphasis in the middle of the word: "Insha'allah"! Then the projects are probably uncertain. For three weeks, hospitalityInside.com moved between locals, expatriates and experts in Dubai. A colourful picture of this city developed. A city that markets itself globally as a superlative but partly seems to be naïve in everyday life.

Dubai. The sea of construction cranes gives a clear signal: Something big is in the pipeline. Dubai's first "Palm", the Palm Jumeirah, should be ready for its first overnighters by the end of next year. When finished, the artificial island will be capable of accommodating 70,000 people - excluding day trippers and hotel guests. Yet for the moment, it remains a building site. Completion date is set for 2012. Yet despite much still existing only on sheets and charts, 3,700 apartments and villas have already been sold, and 30 hotels have been announced. The first of these hotels to go into operation will be Sol Kerzner's giant leisure park Atlantis with inauguration set for winter 2008. A visit to a construction site of superlatives, the Palm Jumeirah, the first and smallest of the islands that Dubai plans to erect in the middle of the ocean.

Hanover. By purchasing a plot of land of eleven square kilometres on which there are several old buildings, a medieval castle, a hotel, an 18-hole golf course as well as agricultural areas, TUI has furthered its plans to put into effect the biggest tourism project in Tuscany as well as the biggest in the company’s history. Hotel brands in the resort will be Robinson, Iberotel and Dorfhotel.

Dubai. The "Arabian Travel Market" still has it easy to market itself as a forum. In Dubai chains from all over the world are falling over themselves to find a foothold both in Dubai itself and in the other GCC countries - and that across their whole market network. On the local markets, Arabian hotel groups are accelerating their expansion. And whoever doesn't have a hotel group, quickly creates one. A tendency especially true of the Arab companies. Meanwhile almost everyone has a hand in the hotel business: Property developers, banks and tour organisers. An overview of hotel projects following the ATM for Dubai and the Middle East.
Our photo shows the construction site behind Dubai's Dusit Hotel at Sheikh Zayed Road down to another mega construction site - the mega tower Burj Dubai. 123 storeys have been completed, just half of the tower's expected hight.

Werfenweng/Salzburg. Since 1995, Austria has been losing 0.2 percent of the market share in the European tourism business per year. Only if these losses can be stopped Austria will be able to maintain its position says a study issued by the economics ministry regarding tourism strategy in 2015. Nonetheless, Martin Bartenstein, Minister for Economic Affairs, refuses to provide more funds for Oesterreich Werbung, the national tourism organisation.

Berlin. The 33rd GTM will be held in Berlin from the 13th to the 15th of May 2007. It is being organised by the German National Tourist Board and the city of Berlin in partnership with Potsdam. The Germany Travel Mart 2007 is the biggest sales event for Germany's inbound tourism industry. Approximately 350 exhibitors from the German travel industry and more than 600 international buyers and journalists are expected to attend this B2B market place. Analogue to the GTM there will be a conference of international tourism experts from the European Union.

New York. While overall global travel has increased significantly since 2000, travel to the U.S. from abroad declined. This is partly due to visa problems.

Dubai. Business is booming in Dubai, yet every at the end of each day at the trade fair, the city trips over itself. Visitors to the event often wait hours for a taxi. Taxi drivers too are business minded. Rather than struggling through 30 minutes of traffic jams before even reaching the taxi stand at the "Arabian Travel Market", they remain in the city and find their fares there. All this makes one ask how will it be once all the super projects presented at the trade fair are complete. The huge models representing construction ideas prompt many a question. Remarks from the ATM 2007.

Dubai. "Nakheel is fuelling the tourism of Dubai", say full-page newspaper advertisements as well as extensive advertising posters at the entrance of the World Trade Center Dubai, which sees the end of the "Arabian Travel Market" today. But it is not only the major developer Nakheel who is driving tourism forward: Dubai keeps buying worldwide mega brands to become a world brand of its own. This week's highlights: Dubai gets its own "Universal Studios" and the "Cirque du Soleil" takes up residence here. And the Palm Deira, the world's largest artificial island, has revised its master plan to gain even more land mass. Hotels are involved everywhere, of course. Even more hotels. Some hotel groups were able to announce unique projects like the first fractional ownership facility in Arabia.

St. Anton. Against all expectations, the closing winter season in was still one for the record books in Austria. Primarily thanks to city and spa tourism. Nevertheless, next year will be, as always, the most difficult.