ABU DHABI: The UAE will introduce a new multiple-entry visa scheme valid for five years for all nationalities as part of efforts to affirm the country’s position as a global tourist destination, said a report. The new visa scheme was approved by the UAE Cabinet during the Cabinet’s first meeting during 2020 the Year of Preparation, chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said a report in WAM. The decision will be implemented during the first quarter of 2020, it said. “The year 2020 will be different because it…
Author: holidayweekly
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has announced that visitors with an entry visa to the US, the UK or a European (Schengen) visa can enter the Kingdom and obtain a visa on arrival at airports and other ports. A source in the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage said that the announcement is a continuation of the tourist visa programme launched by the Kingdom, a Saudi Press Agency report said. The source added that there is an existing committee chaired by the chairman of the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage, Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khatib, working to define the goals…
Hundreds of Delta Air Lines employees have filed a pair of class action lawsuits against Wisconsin-based clothing manufacturer Lands’ End, claiming that uniforms they are required to wear are causing serious medical problems. The first lawsuit against the Atlanta-based airline was filed in October with a second on Tuesday in federal court in Madison, the Wisconsin State Journal reported Friday. Lands’ End is based in Dodgeville, a small town about 120 miles west of Milwaukee. The lawsuits allege that the uniforms, created by fashion designer Zac Posen and unveiled in May 2018, have caused numerous Delta employees to break out…
MUSCAT: Oman Air achieved one of its best on-time-performance (OTP) rate of 90 per cent over the past calendar year of 2019. This metric measures the airline’s flight punctuality – important criteria amongst customers, particularly frequent international air travellers, when selecting an airline to fly with. Oman Air’s achievement of 90 per cent for 2019 makes it one of the best performing airlines globally in terms of flight punctuality. In December 2019, the year’s busiest month for air travel, the airline earned an industry high of 92 per cent OTP rating. This is a noteworthy accomplishment in one of the…
PESHAWAR: The three-day Winter Sports Festival 2020 concluded with thrilling sports games and traditional dance and music in the scenic Malam Jabba tourist resort in Swat Valley on Sunday. [huge_it_slider id=”502″] The festival featured a number of winter sports games including skiing, Slalom ski for Under-10 and Under-14, speed skating for Under-15, ice hockey, sledding and tobogganing, archery, curling, snow-tubing, bonfire, alpine ski, music show, food, display of handicrafts and others. The foreign and local tourists and visitors, who have already thronged the serene resort, enjoyed the games and music on the white snow in Malam Jabba. Nazim Shah stood…
ISTANBUL: Turkish Airlines has announced the addition of Xi’an, the Chinese city with 3,000 years of history, to its flight network. Xi’an has become the flag carrier’s fourth destination in Mainland China and the 318thdestination in the world. The flights will be operated three times a week with Airbus A330 aircraft. Starting its flights to the People’s Republic of China back in 1999 with Beijing as its destination, Turkish Airlines has reinforced its strong position in Asia with the Xi’an flights. During the ceremony of the inaugural flight, Turkish Airlines GM Bilal Ekşi stated: “We conclude the year by adding…
Colombo: Sri Lankan Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has confirmed that the government was in the process of drafting a Cabinet proposal to extend the free-visa regime till April 30, it was reported on Thursday. “We have just begun to draft the proposal and within the next two weeks I hope to submit it to the Cabinet for approval,” the Minister told. As a means to recover the country’s tourism industry which suffered a major setback following the Easter Sunday attacks on April 21, 2019, Sri Lanka granted free visas to travellers from 49 countries, including India, for a period of…
The number of fatal aviation accidents in 2019 rose above the five-year average to 20, with more than half occurring in North America, the Aviation Safety Network said. The 20 crashes killed 283 people, with the bulk of the deaths coming from the Ethiopian Airlines disaster in March, when a Boeing Co. 737 Max jet plunged into the ground shortly after takeoff, killing all 157 people on board. That led to the global grounding of the jet. Last year’s total included 11 accidents in North America, compared to just one in that region in 2018 and three in 2017, the…
CANBERRA: Thousands of visitors fled Australia’s wildfire-ravaged eastern coast Thursday, January 02, ahead of worsening conditions as the military started to evacuate people trapped on the shore further south. [huge_it_slider id=”497″] Cooler weather since Tuesday has aided firefighting and allowed people to replenish supplies. Vehicles formed long lines at gas stations and supermarkets, and traffic was gridlocked as highways reopened. But fire conditions were expected to deteriorate Saturday as high temperatures and strong winds are forecast to return. “There is every potential that the conditions on Saturday will be as bad or worse than we saw” on Tuesday, New South…
UDAIPUR: Indian Hotels Company has begun the new year with a new addition to its collection of authentic palaces, Fateh Prakash Palace, Udaipur. Renamed Taj Fateh Prakash Palace, the building is located within the historic city palace on the shores of Lake Pichhola in Udaipur.If offers panoramic views of the lake, while being surrounded by the Aravalli Hills and Jagmandir Island.The House of Mewar is one of the oldest dynasties in the world, with its origins tracing back 1,300 years. Fateh Prakash was built during the reign of Maharana Fateh Singh Mewar in the 19th century as an exclusive venue…