UAE: Beware Of Thieves Pretending To Be Tourists, Dubai Police Warn Visitors

The UAE is considered one of the safest destinations for both expatriates and tourists.

Crime rate in the country, including Dubai, is lower than many other places on earth, but it doesn’t mean everyone isn’t at risk for some kind of theft or that people are angels.

UAE residents have recently been advised to take precautions when they go out, or to be wary of fraudsters on the streets.

They should be extra careful, especially when they’re approached by strangers.

In their latest advisory, the Dubai Police has indicated that some thieves are probably on the prowl in the city, pretending to be tourists.

They may approach any unsuspecting individual and pretend to ask about the latest foreign exchange rates.

Beware of thieves acting as tourists, who enquire about currencies and exchange rates, the Dubai Police said on Twitter.

It is not clear how these thieves exactly operate, but it’s better to be careful than be sorry.

According to the UAE’s Ministry of Interior, 98.6 per cent of residents still feel it is safe and secure to walk out at night in the UAE, making the country the world’s second safest place to live in.

We are second after Singapore. UAE’s policies and strategies were behind the achievements to make the country one of the safest countries in the world, said Lt General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, deputy chairman of police and public security in Dubai last May.

The Dubai Police had said in January that the number of serious crimes committed in the emirate dropped by 15 per cent in 2017 when compared to a year earlier.

The number of unsolved crimes also fell by 14 per cent during the same period.

A record-breaking number of international tourists have visited the United Arab Emirates in 2017, making Dubai the fourth most visited city in the world.

15.79 million tourists visited the country last year, which is 6.2 percent more than in 2016, when the country welcomed 14.9 million visitors.

The latest data published by the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), show that Dubai is getting closer to its 2020 tourism target.

Of course which is to welcome 20 million tourists within a year, as last year’s growth rate has exceeded the 5 per cent achieved in 2016.

Many factors have affected the tourism in the UAE to grow.

Among other the Dubai Tourism’s ongoing collaboration with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan in the multi-awarded #BeMyGuest campaign which potrays Khan’s journey across a series of short films that see him taking visitors to Dubai.

On the other hand, the newly minted visa-on-arrival status for both Russian and Chinese tourists, has affected the number of visitors from both countries.

The facilitation of visa norms has caused the number of visitors from China to increase for 41 percent and the number of Russian tourists for 121 percent.

Dubai offers a lot of tourist attractions for travelers from around the world and not only popular landmarks like the Burj Khalifa.

Last year alone the country has invested in a number of developments in order to further broad Dubai’s appeal to a wide spectrum of visitors.

City’s newest beachfront district La Mer, the Etihad Museum and La Perle in Habtoor City have all been inaugurated last year and are expected to boost the number of visitors this year even more.

Top ten countries with most tourists coming from, were as follows 2017:

- India topped the list, with two million annual visitors to the UAE, keeping its place for another year running. 15 percent more people from India visited the country this year, than in 2016.

- Saudi Arabia was again in the second place contributing a total of 1.53 million tourists in 2017. Despite an overall 7 decrease of visitors, it remained the highest driver of traffic volumes from within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

- The United Kingdom delivered 1.27 million travelers, 2 percent more in comparison to 2016, despite Brexit.

- Oman, 682 thousand of this year’s visitors were from Oman.

- China saw 764 thousand of its nationals visiting the UAE, 41 percent more than the previous year, which was a lot affected by the new visa facilitation which allows citizens to obtain a visa-on-arrival.

- USA, 633 thousand of this year’s visitors were from the United States of America.

- Pakistan saw little increase with 598 thousand of its residents visiting the UAE.

- Russia delivered 530 thousand visitors, scoring the highest increase of visitors with 121 percent more than in 2016. Just as in the case of China, the increase was affected by the new policy of visa-on-arrival.

- Germany, 506 thousand of this year’s visitors were from Germany.

- Iran, And 503 thousand of this year’s visitors were from Iran.


Tourism Observer

SAN MARINO: Visit San Marino, A Little Known Republic Neighbouring Italy

San Marino or the Republic of San Marino, is the third smallest state in Europe after the Holy See City and Monaco, and claims to be the world's oldest republic.

According to tradition, it was founded by a Christian stonemason named Marinus in 301. San Marino's foreign policy is aligned with that of Italy, which surrounds it. Social and political trends in the republic also track closely with those of its larger neighbour.

San Marino is the world's oldest republic and Europe's third smallest state. It lies 657 m above sea level with spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and Adriatic coast, and is situated only 10km from Rimini. Legend has it that the founder of San Marino, a stonemason, arrived from the island of Rab in Dalmatia and climbed Mt. Titano to found a small community of Christians, persecuted for their faith by the Emperor Diocletian.

The tourist sector contributes over 2.2% of San Marino's GDP, with approximately 2 million tourists having visited in 2014.

San Marino is a predominantly Catholic state — over 97% of the population profess the Roman Catholic faith, but it is not the established religion. Approximately half of those who profess to be Catholic practice the faith. There is no episcopal see in San Marino, although its name is part of the present diocesan title.

Historically, the various parishes in San Marino were divided between two Italian dioceses, mostly in the Diocese of Montefeltro, and partly in the Diocese of Rimini. In 1977, the border between Montefeltro and Rimini was readjusted so that all of San Marino fell within the diocese of Montefeltro. The bishop of Montefeltro-San Marino resides in Pennabilli, in Italy's province of Pesaro e Urbino.

However, there is a provision under the income tax rules that the taxpayers have the right to request for allocation of 0.3% of their income tax to the Catholic Church or to "other" charities. The churches include the two religious groups of the Waldensian Church and Jehovah's Witnesses.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro was until 1977 the historic diocese of Montefeltro. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia.The current diocese includes all the parishes of San Marino. The earliest mention of Montefeltro, as Mona Feretri, is in the diplomas by which Charlemagne confirmed the donation of Pepin.

The first known bishop of Montefeltro was Agatho, whose residence was at San Leo. Under Bishop Flaminios Dondi the see was again transferred to San Leo, but later it returned to Pennabilli. The historic diocese was a suffragan of the archdiocese of Urbino.

Since 1988, there is formally a apostolic nunciature to the republic, but it's vested in the nuncio to Italy.

There has been a Jewish presence in San Marino for at least 600 years.The first mention of Jews in San Marino dates to the late 14th century, in official documents recording the business transactions of Jews. There are many documents throughout the 15th to 17th centuries describing Jewish dealings and verifying the presence of a Jewish community in San Marino. Jews were permitted official protection by the government.

During World War II, San Marino provided a haven for more than 100,000 Italians and Jews,approximately ten times the Sammarinese population at the time from Nazi persecution. Today, only a few Jews remain.

San Marino is made up of a few towns dotted around the mountain sides. The capital of San Marino is itself called 'San Marino' and is situated high up on a mountain top. The capital is surrounded by a wall and three distinct towers overlook the rest of the country. The site San Marino Historic Centre and Mount Titano, has become part of the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008.

The towns surrounding the capital are more industrial and generally not as attractive as the main city. San Marino is 20 times bigger than Monaco and half the size of Liechtenstein.

The cuisine of San Marino is extremely similar to Italian, especially that of the adjoining Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions, but it has a number of its own unique dishes and products. Its best known is probably the Torta Tre Monti or Cake of the Three Mountains or Cake of the Three Towers, a wafer layered cake covered in chocolate depicting the Three Towers of San Marino. The country also has a small wine industry.

Going To San Marino

San Marino is not a member of the European Union or European Economic Area. However, it maintains an open border with Italy. Foreigners staying more than 10 days in San Marino must have a permit from the government.

San Marino has no airports. The nearest major airport is at Rimini. There are other airports at Ancona, Bologna and Forlì.

San Marino has no railway stations. The nearest major railway station is at Rimini.

Driving into San Marino. International agreements with Italy mean that the country is one of 3 associate members of the Schengen Area, so doesn't have border controls.

Bus 72 runs from Rimini to San Marino daily at regular intervals. A return ticket costs around €9, one way is €5. This bus can be found just outside the Rimini train station outside Burger King. It is advisable to show up a little bit earlier to ensure enough seats remain on the bus.

Tickets can either be bought prior to boarding the bus at the bus stop itself, or in advance at the Tourist Information Centre where you can also deposit your luggage for a small fee if they still have available space,€3 per item; centre closes at 18:45 most days.

Touring

In the Citta


The Città (San Marino City) can be roughly grouped into 12 levels:

Salita Alla Rocca, Contrade dei Magazzeni, di Borgoloto & del Collegio, Basilica
Piazza della Libertà, Contrada Santa Croce
Vie Donna Felicissima & Eugippo
Via Basilicius, Contrade dei Liburni & Omerelli
San Francesco, Contrade della Mura, San Francesco & di Portanova
Via Piagge
Piazzale Marino Calcigini, Vie Pietro Tonnini, della Capannaccia & della Rata
Via Gino Giacomini
Vie Jan Henryk Dabrowski, dei Villanoviani, Ca' Giello & Aia Zoli
Vie Montalbo, Sant'Antimo, La Riva & Pietro Rossi, Contrada Sant'antonio
Piazze Mercatale & Grande
Via del Fontanone, Piazzale Campo della Fiera

There is a short cable car called the Funivia connecting Piazza della Libertà, on level 2 to Piazzale Campo della Fiera in Borgo Maggiore,on level 12.

Once inside the walled city, it's small enough to simply walk around. The majority of streets can accommodate only small cars, cycles & mopeds.

Some streets can accomodate larger cars & buses while some can only accommodate pedestrians,mostly called Contrade or neighbourhoods.

Despite not being particularly car-friendly, parking is abundant in the Citta. Here is a list of municipal car parks, which each have their own number:

Via Piana, along the city wall on level 6.
Piazzale Marino Gangi on level 6.
Via J.F. Kennedy, outside the congress centre on level 2.
Viale Antonio Onofri on level 3.
Passo della Murata Nuova on level 3.
Piazzale Cava Antica on level 1.
Cava degli Umbri on level 1.
Via Piagge on level 6.
Underground multi-storey, entrances on Via Gino Giacomini on level 8 & Via Jan Henryk Dabrowski on level 9. Pedestrian access via a lift to the bus station on level 8, from where there is another lift to the coach park on level 7, from where yet another lift goes to level 6.
Via Jan Henryk Dabrowski on level 9.
Piazzale Campo della Fiera on level 12, outside the lower cable car station.
Viale Campo dei Giudei on level 12.

The people in San Marino speak a very clear Italian. Also, due to the high density of Russian tourists, in a lot of shops and restaurants people speak Russian. The English language can help you get around.

You can see two of the three towers,as seen on the flag of San Marino by purchasing the Red Card for €4.50. The yellow card €3 only allows you to see one of the towers. You cannot enter the third tower, there does not seem to be an entrance.

Simply walk around the city. The narrow streets are full of surprises. The walkways wind up and down the hillside in an interesting way, inviting exploration.

Fish can be caught in San Marino lake in Faetano.

Get your passports stamped at the tourist information centre. This is an excellent souvenir as they stick a visa tax stamp and then an official ink stamp over the top, €5.

Contrary to previous entries, obtaining such a stamp does not in any way invalidate your passport. San Marino is a fully, internationally recognised, sovereign country and as such is perfectly entitled to issue its own passport stamps to anyone who wishes to have one.

Whether they are for official immigration or optional souvenir purposes is not relevant, there is still nothing illegal whatsoever about getting one and absolutely no problems will arise from you having a San Marino stamp in your passport.

Warnings of invalidating travel documents are wholly unjustified and should be ignored. If you want a stamp then get one without hesitation, it's a very unique souvenier. There is literally nowhere else on Earth you can get a San Marino passport stamp.

International agreements define the country's currency as the same as Italy's, so San Marino has the euro as its sole currency along with 24 other countries that use this common European money.

These 24 countries are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain,official euro members which are all European Union member states as well as Andorra, Kosovo, Monaco, Montenegro, San Marino and the Vatican which use it without having a say in eurozone affairs and without being European Union members.

Together, these countries have a population of more than 330 million.

One euro is divided into 100 cents. While each official euro member as well as Monaco, San Marino and Vatican issues its own coins with a unique obverse, the reverse, as well as all bank notes, look the same throughout the eurozone. Every coin is legal tender in any of the eurozone countries.

A lot of the souvenir shops sell weapons, from swords to B-B guns.

Like other states which have the Euro as their currency, San Marino has its own patterns on the back of the Euro coins. You can try to obtain these coins by simply going around buying things and collecting the coins that way, but a quicker solution is to buy the set in a souvenir shop.

Unfortunately, these sets seem to lack the € 1 and € 2 coins.

Prices for items such as disposable cameras and batteries are cheaper in San Marino than they are in Italy. This is partly because in San Marino you don't have to pay the 22% IVA (VAT) that you have to pay in Italy.

Price of Cigarettes are lower than Italy.

Tax Free is available for all the tourist that comes in San Marino with Passport and Valid Credit Card,except italian.

The Sammarinese cuisine is a reflection of the surrounding regional Italian cuisine (cucina Romagnola). Hence the Piadina, a a thin flatbread, is very popular.

Supermarkets in San Marino are few and far-between, although the following can help in this area:

Conad. Azzurro Shopping Centre, V M Moretti 23, Serravalle SM 03508
Sma Supermercati. Via del Passetto 113, Fiorentino SM
Ristorante Terrazza Titano. Contrada del Collegio 31, Repubblica di San Marino
La Fratta. Next to the parking lot n.6, Via Salita alla Rocca, 14, Repubblica di San Marino

Legally you can buy or drink alcohol when you reach 16.

The local beer is very tasty.
Spirits are also very commonly found, especially Limoncello, a lemon liquor.
Try the locally produced wine.
The coffee, like in its Italian neighbour, is superb.

Although San Marino has a few hotels, the seaside resort of Rimini has a lot more and is probably a cheaper option.

Grand Hotel San Marino, Viale Antonio Onofri, The Grand Hotel San Marino rises on the peak of Monte Titano, close to the Rocche and the Old Town Center. With a few minutes stroll you will find yourself immersed in the rich culture and history of this city.

Hotel Titano, Contrada del Collegio. Located right in the center of the town. The rooms are small but cozy, and it is connected to a very nice restaurant. The downside is that unless you are an early riser, the nearby church bells will ring every 15 minutes to remind you of the time starting from early in the morning.

San Marino is a safe country. Like in any other place that attracts many tourists, you should watch out for pickpockets.

This is a very healthy place. If you become ill, procedures are the same as the European Union, although serious conditions will likely have you taken to Rimini.

San Marino is a very proud country and it should be viewed in this respect. Be respectful when having photos taken with the guards, a smile will do, hand gestures/funny faces are not received well.

It would be considered very offensive to call them "Italians" - not that they don't like Italians, but they are just extremely proud of their independence.

Ha, just go for San Marino

THAILAND: Flight From Moscow To Bangkok Injures passengers After Turbulence

Passengers on an Aeroflot flight from Moscow to Thailand were slammed into the ceiling after their aircraft hit a patch of severe turbulence injuring 27 people, some of them suffering fractured bones, witnesses and officials said Monday.

The terrifying ordeal occurred when the plane flew through a pocket of "clean air" turbulence so called because there is no cloud warning of its presence shortly before landing in Bangkok after midnight, the airline said.

Denis Antonyuk, an official at Russia's embassy in Bangkok said 24 Russian nationals and three Thais were injured.

Fifteen Russians and two Thais are still in hospital,adding the rest had been discharged.

Passenger phone footage broadcast showed a scene of chaos inside the cabin, with injured passengers on the floor, smears of blood on luggage racks and oxygen masks hanging down.

We were hurled up into the roof of the plane, it was practically impossible to hold on, a passenger said.
"It felt like the shaking wouldn't stop, that we would just crash," she added.

The head of the Russian embassy's consular department Vladimir Sosnov said that some of the injured were undergoing operations but he could not give exact numbers.

He added that none of the injuries were life-threatening.

"All the injured were taken to a local hospital with injuries of varying degrees of severity, mainly fractures and contusions. Some need an operation," the Russian embassy in Bangkok said in a statement.

Officials at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport did not respond to requests for comment.

Thailand has become a very popular destination for sun-seeking Russian tourists with dozens of flights a day from across the country.

Numbers dropped off a few years back when the rouble weakened but they have since bounced back.

Last year just over one million Russians visited the country, most flocking to the southern beach resorts.

Early May is an especially popular time of the year for Russians to head abroad with two public holidays in the first two weeks of the month.

TURKEY: Russian Tourists To Turkey Grow,Oslo Airport Opens

Russian tourists decreased in 2016 but number of those visiting relatives or friends and number of visiting special events remained about the same.

However beginning of summer season in 2017, tour operators say outbound travel will grow this year. TUI Russia alone plans to increase travel volume by 3.5 times.

The reasons behind the decline in outbound travel are some events including:

EGYPT

• Oct 2015 - Airplane with Russian tourists crashed in Sinai due to terrorist act. On 6 Nov 2015 Russia stopped civil air communication with Egypt. Not reopened till now

• 11 Oct 2016 – terrorist act in Cairo near St Mark's Cathedral

TURKEY

• 24 Nov 2015 – Turkey shot down a Russian military plane near the Syrian border.

• 28 Nov 2015 – Russia stopped charter air communication with Turkey, lasted till 28 Aug 2016

• Terrorist acts in Turkey in 2016-2017

EUROPE

• Ongoing flow of news about troubles with refugees in Europe

• 14 July 2016 - Truck attack at Bastille Day celebration in Nice (France)

• 19 Dec 2016 - Truck attack at the Christmas Market in Berlin (Germany)

Now in 2017, Russia’s relations with Turkey have entered a revival period. The first charter plane arrived today to Gazipasa - Alanya Airport on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. A total of 189 Russian travelers that purchased holiday package from Coral Travel will enjoy warm and traditional Turkish hospitality at Alanya hotels.

Turkey remains the most popular summer destination for Russian tourists and Turkish people are also happy to welcome them. Russia was the second largest source of foreign tourists visiting Turkey before the crisis that started in late 2015.

As the relations revive, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has announced the possibility of extending the term of visa-free stay for Russian citizens in Turkey. "The period of visa-free stay for Russians in Turkey will be increased from 60 to 90 days," Cavusoglu said in a conference.

Taras Demurai CEO TUI Russia and Ukraine, said that they expected to send at least 200 thousand Russian tourists to Turkey and 150 thousand to other countries. He also said that before the start of the season TUI has sold about 30% of summer tours to Turkey.

According to the news at the website of the Association of Tour Operators in Russia (ATOR), Turkish hotels already started to attract more Russian tourists by offering special discounts around 10-15% especially for the May holidays.

CEO of Biblio Globus tour operator Irina Kostenko commented that this year's Turkey sales during May holiday period are really good thanks to the special offers by Turkish hotels.

Pegas Touristik also confirmed the positive growth of sales during the May holiday period.

Coral Travel said that for the month of May, they reached 82% capacity; a similar amount is achieved in 2015.

No flights to Egypt yet

A year and a half has passed since the downing of the Russian plane in Sinai, but the Russian government is still preventing its citizens from traveling to Egypt.

British flight ban also continues to Egypt, the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has a travel warning in place against British citizens traveling to Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport.

Meanwhile, Oslo Airport was officially opened today as Norway’s main airport. The increased capacity is at approx. 32 million passengers annually.

The Minister of Transport and Communications and the CEO of Avinor tied together a ribbon, to symbolise that "Avinor ties Norway together". Solvik-Olsen told the attendees that Norway’s main airport is important to the whole nation.

"Norway depends on a well-functioning main airport. We now have a large international airport that will be the pride of the entire nation. This is a state-run flagship project that has been on schedule and within budget. Avinor can safely be proud of the work put into this expansion", says Solvik-Olsen.

Since construction began in 2011, there has been great focus on not letting the expansion work affect the passengers and airlines.

This has been challenging, as Oslo Airport has experienced an increase in traffic each year, and surpassed 25 million passengers in 2016.

"This is an important day for Norwegian aviation, and we are very proud of the new Oslo Airport. We are happy that it was delivered on time and within budget, while maintaining a high quality.

The thousands of people that have worked day and night since the resolution to expand was made in the spring of 2011 deserve a big round of applause", says Avinor Chairman, Ola Mørkved Rinnan.

Avinor CEO Dag Falk-Petersen said, "We have invested NOK 14 billion in this expansion, and it will make Norway more competitive on an international level. It is important for Norway to have a well-functioning hub, which Oslo Airport is to us, and the profit from this is used to finance the rest of the Norwegian aviation network", says Falk-Petersen and adds:

The airport has almost doubled in size, and the gates have been renamed. This means that even experienced Norwegian travellers should pay close attention to the signs.

Facts about the new Oslo Airport:

Capacity: 32 million passengers annually

New areas: 117,000 square metres

Total area: 265,000 square metres

New gates: 11 new jet bridged gates

New remote aircraft parking spaces: 10

Number of restaurants: 37

Number of kiosks: 10

Number of shops: 21

UAE: Visas On Arrival For Chinese And Russian Visitors Boosts Hotel Revenues In Dubai

UAE government’s decision to grant visas on arrival for Chinese and Russian visitors has sparked a huge influx of tourists to Dubai, with hoteliers reporting they’re nearly fully booked.

During the first three months of the year, hotels across the emirate recorded an occupancy level of 86.3 per cent, showing a 2.7 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.

The increase in bookings was more significant in affordable properties than in posh, high-end hotels, with Dubai’s “midscale and economy classes” experiencing a combined 7.2 per cent year-over-year growth in room uptake and luxury hotels posting a rather moderate increase of 0.7 per cent.

The figure is impressive, considering that Dubai has a huge supply of hotel rooms and more properties are constantly coming on stream.

However, the average cost of rooms per night fell 6.4 per cent to Dh795, while the revenue per available room (RevPAR), which has consistently been on a decline for two years, dropped 3.9 per cent to Dh686.

According to STR, hotel operators’ revenue per available room did continue to fall during the first quarter of the year, but the takeaway from the preliminary data is that the hospitality sector is on track for a recovery.

“Because Dubai has seen two years with consistent RevPAR declines, STR analysts see the first quarter occupancy growth as an indicator of performance recovery,” the company said in a statement.

Philip Wooller, STR’s area director for the Middle East and Africa, said the strong demand is apparently driven by the recent visa policies issued by the UAE government.

“A factor likely played a big role in Dubai’s occupancy growth was the UAE government’s recent decisions to grant visas on arrival for Chinese and Russian nationals,” Wooller said.

“While Dubai continues to add new supply, it also continues to add new leisure attractions, and expanding the market’s range of potential visitors can only help drive hotel demand and profitability.”

Early this year, the UAE government issued a decree granting visas on arrival to travellers from Russia, a major source market for the country’s hospitality industry. For the past two years, the UAE welcomed 600,000 Russian visitors and the number is forecast to grow with the new visa policy.

A similar decree was issued by the government in 2016, granting Chinese tourists entry permits on arrival. The new policy has encouraged more Chinese tourists to visit the emirate, with the number of guests from China reaching more than 300,000 between November 2016 and March 2017.

Dubai still has a huge inventory issue to face, though. There are more than 42,000 rooms currently under contract in Dubai, the largest pipeline of any city in the world, according to Robin Rossmann, STR’s managing director.

Rossmann said the strong occupancy levels are, however, “impressive,” given the significance of supply growth in the market.

“The market faces several challenges over the next few years in maintaining a demand level that can offset some of this supply growth. On the positive side, Dubai continues to attract substantial leisure business, so this is definitely one of the top markets in the industry to keep an eye on from both a supply development and performance perspective.”

TUNISIA: Tunisia Tourism In Difficulty After Terrorist Attack A Year Ago

Tunisia’s tourism sector is still struggling to recover, a year after a terrorist attack on a beach in Sousse killed 38 tourists.

Surveillance cameras and security checks have become the norm in all holiday hotspots; and hotels are anxious to show tourists, Tunisia is a safe destination.

Tourism accounts for 7 percent of Tunisia’s gross domestic product and provides thousands of jobs, making it a key source of foreign currency.

But tourist arrivals fell to 5 million last year, the lowest in decades, after mostly British tourists were gunned down in Sousse.

The attack came just months after 21 tourists were killed in a jihadist attack at the Bardo National Museum in Tunis.

As the high season kicks off, authorities and tourism firms are hoping to boost confidence and encourage bookings with increased security checks.

Mohammed Bujdaria, regional director in charge of tourism in Yasmine-Hammamet said “Ahead of the summer tourist season, we’ve focused on security. Tourist attractions, restaurants, historical sites and hotels are inspected almost daily. We ensure that the new rules imposed by the government are respected.”

Authorities are now giving their all to restore the country’s image as a top holiday destination.

Speaking on the matter, Anis Suissy, director of Yasmine-Hammamet’s Royal Resort hotel said “We used to attract tourists with sun and beaches. It was a selling point. We are spending a lot on security. And we try to put forward the efforts that our establishment and the State are doing in this regard.”

European markets has also declined by 65 percent since 2010, the year before a revolution toppled dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

So Tunisia is turning to Eastern Europe to boost its struggling tourism industry.

Abdellatif Hamam, General director of the Tunisian National Tourism Board said “We hope that this year, the Russians will give us their trust. It’s a market we’ve been working on for the past decade, and we are trying to revitalize it.”

Government hopes to welcome 300,000 Russian tourists this year, six times the number in 2015.

But authorities are leaving nothing to chance by making moves to deploy additional 1,500 security agents to further boost security in the country.

Turkish Tourism Sector Expects $12 Bln Loss In Revenue

Tourism representatives have said 2016 has been “much worse” than the predicted “worst case scenario,” noting the revenue loss in the sector would likely surge to $12 billion over the year.

The current problems, which have risen amid escalating security concerns and a significant decrease in the number of Russian tourists, will likely impact other sectors, including the agriculture sector, and push up the unemployment rate across the country, according to sector representatives.

The head of the Antalya Chamber of Trade and Industry (ATSO), Davut Çetin, said the number of Russian tourists has almost zeroed over this year and they expected a significant drop in the number of arrivals from Europe, mainly from Germany, after a series of terror attacks which recently hit Turkey.

He noted the organization submitted various scenarios to the government after the Russian crisis erupted, but only optimistic scenarios were shared with the public.


‘Much worse than expected’

“We are at a point which is much worse than what we had earlier predicted in our worst case scenario,” he noted at a meeting late March 18.

The vice president of the organization and the head of the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers’ Association (AKTOB), Yusuf Hacısüleyman, said they predicted a loss of $8 billion in revenue in their previous scenario upon the predicted loss of around 4 million tourists following the jet crisis with Russia, by presuming the spending per capita at $1,000 plus the multiplier effect at 1.87.

“With the addition of the expected losses from the European market, we have now revised our potential revenue losses to $12 billion,” he said one day before another terror attack in Istanbul, which killed at least four foreign nationals in central Istanbul on March 19.

Hacısüleyman said the rising number of security warnings for Turkey by Western countries has spurred further losses in the sector, noting that the German Travel Association (DRV) canceled a four-day meeting scheduled in April in the Aegean resort of Kuşadası.

“When travel agencies canceled their meetings over security concerns, we cannot wait for arrivals from Germany to Turkey,” he added.

He noted that the number of European tourists may decline by almost half over this year, adding that the number of Iranian tourists is expected to decrease to 30,000 over this year from around 45,000 last year.

Spain will lure much more tourists than it did earlier this year, and may reach around 80 million tourists, according to sector representatives. Another popular destination will be Greece, they added.


Job losses ‘may hit 100,000’

Çetin noted many hoteliers would not open their hotels this year, and around 80,000-100,000 job losses are expected in Antalya alone.

He said the problems in the tourism sector have already started to spillover to other sectors, mainly the agricultural sector, and the losses will become more visible by May and the following months.

Çetin also noted the EXPO Fair will open on April 22 with the attendance by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

A number of world-famous stars are expected to attend the event, which will last six months and provide an increase in the number of tourists, bringing about some relief to the sector, he noted.

Over 44 countries have so far affirmed their participation in the event, according to sector representatives.

IRAN: Russian Tourists To Enjoy Visa Free Entry To Iran

Iranian Ambassador to Russia Mehdi Sanaei said that tourism was an important sphere for developing the cooperation between Russia and Iran since both states had "great tourist attraction potential."

Tourists arriving in Iran from Russia will be subject to a simplified entry procedure in the near future, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Mehdi Sanaei said.

"Russian tourists in the coming days will get the privilege of a simplified entry procedure to our country," Sanaei said.

He added that tourism was an important sphere for developing the cooperation between Russia and Iran since both states had "great tourist attraction potential."

Last week, Sanaei said that Iran could unilaterally abolish the visa regime for tourists arriving in the country from Russia.

TURKEY: East Mediterranean International Travel And Tourism Exhibition

The 20th East Mediterranean International Travel and Tourism Exhibition began Thursday in Istanbul, gathering sector specialists to display regional food, clothes, games and the models of historic structures from various parts of Turkey and the world

Culture and Tourism Minister Mahir Ünal said on Thursday that, despite counter terrorism operations in three provinces, it should not be presented as if chaos is erupting all over Turkey, adding that terror will strike those who seek to portray it as their competitive advantage. Ünal said this in the context of a speech at the inauguration ceremony of the 20th East Mediterranean International Travel & Tourism Exhibition (EMITT).

Stressing that terror is not a problem for a single country alone, but for the entire world, the minister argued turning terror into a competitive advantage to challenge Turkey is neither moral nor humanitarian.

Ünal spoke with journalists after the inauguration and touched on the impact the crisis has on the tourism sector with Russia over the downing of the Su-24 in November. The minister said that the Turkish tourism sector has taken measures against the possible loss of Russian tourists by having talks with Dutch, Spanish and German authorities to invite their tourists to Turkey.

Meanwhile, Turkey will host Expo 2016 in Antalya between April and October. Stressing that Expo 2016 is greater than the Olympics, Ünal stated the Expo will help Turkey make up for the possible loss of Russian tourists. He added that Turkey is powerful enough to overcome this crisis, as each crisis brings opportunities. According to the minister, there have been ongoing studies to structure the tourism sector through market and product diversification over the past two years.

Referring to the impacts of the Sultan Ahmet bombing on tourism, Ünal stated that terror incidents restrict the freedom of travel as they spread fear. He referenced the statements that the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and other organizations released after the Sultan Ahmet bombing, stating that the world's embracing a common stance against terror further highlighted Istanbul's prestige as cultural heritage which should be protected. According to the minister, the world embraced Istanbul to prevent the terror from succeeding. Although some hotel bookings were cancelled in the city immediately following the explosion, the sector recovered quickly thanks to steps taken. Tourism in Istanbul was not greatly affected by the bombing, Ünal said.

Istanbul Governor Vasip Şahin said despite recent developments which disturbed security around Turkey over the past year, Istanbul at least as safe as other metropolises such as London, New York, Beijing, Tokyo and Paris. He underlined that the highest-level security measures are taken in Istanbul, and Şahin urged investors, travel agencies, and tourists to feel safe in the city.

The EMITT exhibition, one of the largest tourism fairs in the world, displays regional food, clothes, games as well as the models of historic structures from various parts of Turkey and around the world. The exhibition will last until Jan. 31.

RUSSIA: Russian Tourists Visiting Turkey Drops 47%

The number of Russian tourists visiting Turkey plunged 46.86 percent in December 2015 because of the crisis that emerged after Turkey downed a Russian military jet that violated its airspace. The number of Russian tourists dropped to 25,485 in December 2015 from 47,954 in the same month of 2014.

Moreover, the percent of Russian tourists among all tourists in Turkey declined to 1.74 percent last year from 3 percent in 2014.

A total of 36 million tourists visited Turkey throughout 2015, yet tourism fell 18.53 percent compared to the previous year. The ratio of Russian tourists fell to 10.07 percent from 12.16 percent last year.

Turkey downed a Russian Su-24 military jet on Nov. 24, 2015, on the grounds that it violated Turkish airspace near the Syrian border. Moscow implemented several sanctions on Turkey like banning Turkish goods and not giving work permits to Turkish workers.

The Russian government also called on its citizens to not travel to Turkey, which is a famous holiday spot for the cold-country's people with its warm beaches.

RUSSIA: Air Links To Egypt To Remain Cut For Months

'The lights will not be going out in Sharm el-Sheikh or Hurghada while we are here, ' Sisi said. Sharm al-Sheikh accounts for about 70 per cent of visits by Britons, a major tourism market for Egypt.

Tens of thousands of Russian tourists were still awaiting more flights Tuesday.

In comments that may further anger Egyptian officials, Hammond suggested a few countries have a problem with training and motivation of security staff.

The Metrojet Airbus A321 crashed 23 minutes after taking off from the Sharm al-Sheikh tourist resort killing all 224 people on board, The plane was to arrive in St. Petersburg with mostly Russian passengers.

"We had obviously booked our time off work, packed all our cases, booked the vehicle into the airport auto park and made all the arrangements and it was not until Friday that it said on the website that we would not be flying out", she said.

BRITISH aviation experts analysed security at Sharm el-Sheikh just weeks before the alleged bombing of a Russian airliner but did not raise concerns about safety, a senior Egyptian official has said.

Kremlin's Ivanov added that it would be an impossible task for Egyptian authorities to revamp security within a month, stressing that efforts needed to be taken to bring standards up to a sufficient level.

Last Wednesday, Britain banned all flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh airport, a move followed by Russian Federation over the weekend, over intelligence reports a branch of Isis in the Sinai planted a bomb on the Metrojet plane.

Others said security at the airport had been ramped up significantly, with armed guards on checkpoints outside the main terminal building and three further security checks inside.

More than 25,000 Russian tourists - stranded in the country when Russia suspended flights to Egypt - have left the country with carry-on luggage.

United Kingdom airlines are operating 10-11 passenger flights per day and Russian airlines are operating 20-25 passenger flights per day, the Ministry said.

Derek Moore, chairman of Britain's Association of Independent Tour Operators, said that following the crash "the key to air travel... will be the reputation of particular airports".

The deputy head of Russia's Union of the Tourism Industry, Yuri Barzykin, told Tass on Wednesday that Russian holidaymakers "should not dismiss the idea to relax at home" and should opt to holiday in Russia if they are finding alternatives to Egypt overseas too expensive.