Tourism

Gulf Air targets US

Bahrain’s national carrier, Gulf Air, is partnering the US-based travel representation company, Discover the World Marketing, to sell its services in the United States.

Discover, the world’s largest travel representation company with annual client revenues of US$1.5 billion, already represents the airliner in Canada and parts of Europe covering Austria, Canada, Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Russia and Sweden.

NoozzVIEW; Enticing tourists

When it comes to attracting tourists, the Gulf nations cannot be accused of parsimony. Between them, they are expected to invest US$380 billion in the sector up to 2018.

Essam Abdullah Fakhroo, president of the Federation of Gulf Chambers, told an investment forum in Jeddah that the GCC hoped to attract 150 million tourists by 2020.

Dubai Nakheel buys into Mexico resort for US$315 mln

Dubai developer Nakheel, which is building palm tree-shaped islands off Dubai’s coast, said it had agreed to buy 50 percent of a Mexican resort for US$315 million, its first foray into Latin America.

The Dubai government-owned firm, which is developing about US$60 billion of projects, would buy the stake from Whitehall Street Real Estate Funds, managed by Goldman Sachs & Co, it said in a statement.

Dubailand and HIT Entertainment Strike Strategic Alliance

Dubailand, a member of Tatweer, announced it has formed a strategic alliance with UK-based HIT Entertainment, one of the world’s leading independent children’s entertainment producers and rights owners, to develop a diverse portfolio of family entertainment projects in Global Village at DUBAILAND(R), the world’s biggest tourism, leisure and entertainment destination.

Gulf Arabs to spend US$380bn on tourism by 2018

The Gulf Investment and Tourism Forum 2008 sought to adopt a joint GCC strategy to promote and market member-states’ tourism sectors and prop up tourism projects across the region.

“This would make way for real opportunities to surface and for forging strong partnerships in the GCC private-sector,” said Essam Fakhro, president of the Federation of GCC Chambers (FGCCC).

Anheuser-Busch unit to build Dubai theme parks

The family entertainment unit of Anheuser-Busch Cos, the world’s third-largest brewer by volume, is to develop theme parks on a palm tree-shaped island being constructed off the coast of Gulf tourism hub Dubai.

Busch Entertainment Corporation will develop the Worlds of Discovery on the Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai-based property developer Nakheel said in a statement. Orlando-based Busch Entertainment operates 10 World of Discovery theme parks across the United States.