News & Stories

Dubai. From Egypt to the UAE: Tourism in the Middle East experiences a strong growth. Facts and figures from several countries attending the "Arabian Travel Market" Dubai in May give an overview of the development plans for the region's tourism infrastructure.

Dubai. The addiction to superlatives can hardly be stopped in Dubai and in the emirates as well as in other countries. Even if there is now more frequent talk of economy and midscale hotels, investors still prefer to flirt with the Upscale and likewise prefer to do so with the chains; and the wink back: Accor is even expanding its serviced apartment brand there in the premium segment. In Europe, they are reducing the product to Budget instead. However, this is only one example. Fundamentally, nothing goes in Dubai without – vast amounts of – hotels. Ultimately, the chains also have a brand ready for every theme park, district or complex. Although the prices have come under pressure in the meantime, the occupancy numbers are still allowing for the dollar signs to shine in the eyes of the operators and investors.

Dubai. Tourists from GCC countries spend more money than many other tourists. Exhibitors at ATM Dubai in May published facts and figures about the growing influence GCC travelers and presented their services, e.g. Halal food in Croatia.

Frankfurt. MICE planners still favor the destination Germany, requests from abroad grow. But: In some segments the German MICE providers show deficits, particularly free WLAN needs optimization. But the figures speak for itself: In 2014, more than 383 million people overall participated in meetings in Germany, representing a 3.3 percent growth over 2013 and the sixth year of consecutive growth. A new record. Additionally, 3.04 million conferences, meetings and events took place in Germany in 2014, up one percent. The latest developments revealed at IMEX which took place in Frankfurt this week.

Wiesbaden. Customers who have to pay less are not necessarily happier. The more businesses cater to the individual needs of their business travellers, the better yields can be optimised. Here, customer loyalty programmes can play an important role but some businesses avoid them.

Dubai. "The middle class is driving the industry into the future," explicitly said Daniel Silke, keynote speaker of the "Arabian Hotel Investment Conference" in Dubai last week, in his initial statement. A clear statement for a region where middle-class hotels are only being accepted slowly, as there is still a deep desire for luxury among locals. The political analyst from South Africa provided the Arabian and international guests with a credible picture by filtering global trends, which no region can evade. In this respect, Silke's lively speech about the future was also informative for other tourist experts.

Dubai. The glitzy city in the dessert is booming again - and is hitting its limits. It can be seen, heard and felt: Dubai is again suffocating in traffic. After the trade fair, 300 people waited an hour at an allocated taxi pick-up point for transport. Construction sites are everywhere, also in the suburbs; at popular tourist spots, another building is squeezed in between two existing buildings and popular beaches and parks are destroyed for new projects. More and more hotel restaurants obviously remain empty. One hotelier, who didn't want to be identified, said: Dubai is in the process of becoming the victim of its own success. The Arabian Travel Market this week was even more lively than last year.

Wiesbaden. On the spring conference of the VDR German Travel Management Association on Tuesday of this week, the important points that should get receive more political weight in the future were established. And at the same time, the new professional course of studies "Mobility Manager" should prepare for the challenges of the future.

Madrid. Madrid's popular Plaza de España may soon be known as Hotels Plaza since four chains plan to open several 4 and 5-star hotels between 2015 and 2017. The City Hall warmly welcomes all of them hoping for their positive impact on the national and international tourism.

Vienna. In Austria, a local benchmark system has been realised in the resort hotel industry for the first time. Pioneer was the region of Saalbach-Hinterglemm; the hoteliers there provided the first figures for the "hotel destination benchmark".