WRITTEN BY CH. FAISAL MAHMOOD The years before 1914 were a time of brilliance for Tyrol. Tourism was booming. The number of visitors rose and rose and it seemed as if this growth would go on forever. The First World War brought it all to an abrupt halt. Picturesque landscapes suddenly became front lines; thriving resorts were transformed into giant hospitals. For many hoteliers and innkeepers with establishments in the line of fire, the work of decades was ruined overnight. One of the greatest casualties of war conflicts is the hotel industry of a country. Hotels suffer massive losses due…
Author: holidayweekly
ABU DHABI: World Travel Awards has revealed that its Middle East Gala Ceremony 2019 is set to take place on April 25th at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The park is the latest addition to Yas Island’s theme parks, joining Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld. Attending the gala reception at Abu Dhabi’s newest tourist attraction are leading figureheads and decision-makers of the Arabian travel industry. The red-carpet evening will form the second leg of the World Travel Awards Grand Tour 2019 – a global search for the finest travel and tourism brands in…
DUBAI: Boeing sees “enormous potential” to supply drones and other unmanned aircraft to governments in the Middle East for defence purposes, as policymakers work to enhance their defence capabilities. Mr. Mark Ballew, Director of Sales and Marketing for International Government services at Boeing Global Services, said the company is in talks with countries in the region about modernising their existing defence platforms. “There’s also going to be an increased need for unmanned aerial vehicles and protection from unmanned aerial vehicles,” Ballew said. “If you look at what our compact laser weapons systems are, there are expectations on how to protect…
RIYADH: Flag carrier Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) will showcase two of its new aircraft at the Saudi International Air Show, taking place at Al-Thummamah airport in Riyadh from March 12-14. An Airbus A320 aircraft – one of the new retrofits currently flying on European routes, and the Formula E branded Boeing 777-300 will be on static display for guests of the air show to tour and experience. Both aircraft will be on display for all three days of the air show. Saudia, which is the main sponsor of the Saudi International Air Show, will also have a dedicated booth and…
EDINBURGH: Historic Environment Scotland (HES) said more people were visiting after Scotland was used as a location in films such as Mary Queen of Scots. Fans of the TV shows Outlander and Outlaw King also boosted numbers. Doune Castle near Stirling – which featured as Castle Leoch in Outlander – saw a 14% increase in footfall after 142,091 people visited last year. Urquhart Castle by Loch Ness had more than half a million visitors for the first time, up 6% to 518,195. Stirling Castle saw an increase of 7% to 605,241 visitors – making it the second most visited HES-staffed…
DUBAI: Dubai-based airline flydubai has announced plans to boost its services to Saudi Arabia with 12 new flights per week. An additional daily flight to Riyadh Airport (RUH) and five flights a week to Hofuf Airport (HOF) will start from March 16. Commenting on the increase of flights to Saudi Arabia, Hamad Obaidalla, Chief Commercial Officer at flydubai, said: “Saudi Arabia remains an important market for flydubai and we are delighted to be able to increase our services to the kingdom as trade and tourism between the UAE and Saudi Arabia continues to grow.” Flydubai will now operate to 11…
KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has started twice a week flights from Multan to Sharjah. The inaugural flight PK 293 carrying 166 passengers departed from Multan in the early hours of Wednesday said a statement. Another new flight from Peshawar to Sharjah will start from Feb 21, flying twice a week; every Thursday and Sunday. A ceremony was held at Multan Airport with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi as a chief guest on the occasion. Federal Minister for Privatization and Aviation Muhammad Mian Soomro, President & CEO PIA Air Marshal Arshad Malik, senior officials of CAA were also present at…
ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, the national carrier of UAE, has reached agreements with Boeing and Airbus to restructure “a large portion of its previous orders”, the airline said. The airline said in a statement that it has committed to take delivery of five Airbus A350-1000s and 26 A321neos plus six Boeing 777-9s “over the coming years”. The move is part of the airline’s turnaround strategy following two consecutive years of losses, said a Gulf News report. It will also continue to take delivery of Boeing 787 Dreamliners, it said. The discussions to tweak the orders were initiated “following…
LONDON: Britain will impose a 5 kilometre drone exclusion zone around its runways as the government responds to illegal incursions that closed London Gatwick airport for 36 hours in December, disrupting travel for more than 120,000 people. The measures, taking effect March 13, extend the current 1-kilometer no-fly zone for unmanned and model aircraft, the Department for Transport said. Police will also gain new stop-and-search powers to help clamp down on violations. “The law is clear that flying a drone near an airport is a serious criminal act,” Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said in the release. “We’re now going even…
LONDON: Crowds gathered at Heathrow earlier to watch the much-anticipated arrival of a British Airways Boeing 747 painted in the design of its predecessor British Overseas Airways Corporation. The aircraft entered the IAC paint bay at Dublin Airport on February 5th where it was stripped of its current British Airways Chatham Dockyard design before being repainted with the BOAC livery which adorned the BOAC fleet between 1964 and 1974. Alex Cruz, British Airways chairman, said: “The enormous interest we’ve had in this project demonstrates the attachment many people have to British Airways’ history. “It’s something we are incredibly proud of,…