SRI LANKA: SriLankan Airlines Traffic Went Down In 2018

SriLankan Airlines commenced operations between Colombo and Melbourne on 29 October 2017, with the latter airport giving the inaugural flight a water arch salute.

Data from the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka shows that during the first 12 months of operation, the oneworld member carried 157,342 passengers on the route. This service was also the last route that was introduced to the carrier’s network, with no new routes planned for 2019 so far either.

SriLankan Airlines is the flag carrier of Sri Lanka and a member of oneworld. It currently operates a fleet of 27 aircraft, made-up of seven A320s of which two are neos, seven A321s three neos, six A330-200s and seven A330-300s.

It’s home base is Colombo’s Bandaranaike Airport, where in 2018 the carrier occupied 50% of seat capacity. According to data obtained from Sri Lanka’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the airline flew just under 1.42 million passengers during Q3 2018, with this down 3.3% versus the 1.46 million that it flew within the same quarter of 2017.

Between November 2017 and October 2018, the carrier flew just under six million passengers according to Sri Lanka’s CAA.

SriLankan Airlines’ leading route from Colombo is Chennai, with the airline having transported over half a million passengers on the route between January and October last year, accounting for 10% of the carrier’s total passengers flown within the 10-month period analysed.

The airline currently serves the 647-kilometre route four times daily, using a mixture of its narrow- and wide-body fleet.

India is the airline’s largest market, with it serving 13 destinations in India on either a seasonal or year-round basis during the time frame analysed, with six Indian cities placing in the airline’s top 15 destinations for passengers carried.

Between January and October, 33% of the airline’s passengers flew on services to/from India.

After India, the airline’s second biggest market is the Middle East, with this region accounting for 24% or 1.16 million passengers of the the carrier’s customers between January and October last year.

Presently the airline serves nine destinations in the Middle East from Colombo, with Doha, Dubai, Riyadh and Kuwait City all making it into the airline’s top 15 destinations with regards to passengers carried.

One route which just missed out on a place in the top 15 is the airline’s newest destination Melbourne, a route that the airline launched on 29 October 2017.

Placing 16th in the airline’s top routes relating to passengers carried, the link to Australia transported 129,110 passengers within the first 10 months of last year, while during its first full 12 months of operation November 2017 – October 2018, the route carried 157,342 passengers.

The airline’s other routes to carry over 100,000 passengers within a 12-month time frame Nov 2017 – Oct 2018, were Jakarta, Guangzhou, Jeddah, Abu Dhabi, Thiruvananthapuram, Dhaka, Shanghai Pudong, Tokyo Narita, Bahrain and Beijing.

While SriLankan Airlines added its last new route in October 2017, it has since cut three routes from Colombo, namely to Hong Kong which ended 27 October 2018, Visakhapatnam 27 October and Kunming 28 February.

The loss of these routes means that in S19, the carrier is poised to offer a network of 38 destinations, with no new routes being planned or announced by the airline for this year.

Male was the leading destination for SriLankan Airlines’ connecting traffic between July 2017 and June 2018, with it accounting for 9.0% of one-way connecting passengers during this 12-month period, while Chennai was second, responsible for 7.6% of connecting traffic.

With these routes being the airline’s top routes for total passenger numbers from Colombo, and having multi-daily frequencies, it is not surprising to see them top the list of connecting destinations as well.

What is interesting to note is that, of the airline’s leading connections, all of them, bar Jeddah, are within a distance of 4,500 kilometres of Colombo.

Of the airline’s top 15 routes for total passenger numbers, only Male, Chennai, Kochi, Riyadh, Singapore, Tiruchirappalli, Kuwait City, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Kuala Lumpur, Doha and Dubai were included in the top 15 connecting routes, with Delhi, London Heathrow, Bengaluru and Mumbai not making the connections cut.

This suggests that the latter four destinations are more dominant for O&D traffic to/from Colombo then they are for connecting services via SriLankan’s hub.

During the past decade, SriLankan Airlines had a number of routes into Europe, however these we cut as a result of cost cutting measures for the airline as it re-focused its strategy in recent years.

However, if it was to return to expansion in the long-haul market, OAG Traffic Analyser data indicates that strong destinations for the airline, regarding O&D traffic from Colombo, would be Paris CDG 70,000 one-way indirect passengers between July 2017 and June 2018, Frankfurt 58,100, Milan Malpensa 45,300, Rome Fiumicino 40,400 and Munich 35,900.


Tourism Observer

KUWAIT: Philippines Ambassador Expelled From Kuwait Over Mistreatment Of Domestic Workers.

The Philippines has demanded an explanation for Kuwait's decision to expel its ambassador amid a dispute over the treatment of domestic workers.

The two nations have been attempting to resolve the dispute since February, when the body of a murdered Filipina maid was discovered in Kuwait.

But last week videos emerged showing embassy staff rescuing Filipinos allegedly abused by their employers.

Kuwait condemned the violation of its laws and told the ambassador to leave.

Four Filipinos hired by the embassy were also arrested by Kuwaiti police and arrest warrants issued against three diplomatic personnel, according to the Philippines.

Last Saturday, the Philippine foreign ministry published two video clips said to show teams from the embassy in Kuwait carrying out rescues of Filipino domestic workers.

In one, a woman is seen running from a block of flats and being helped into a waiting car by a man.

On Wednesday, the Kuwaiti foreign ministry announced it had declared Philippine ambassador Renato Pedro Villa persona non grata and asked him to leave the country within a week.

A statement accused Philippine embassy staff and others of smuggling Filipino maids in flagrant violation of Kuwait's laws and international diplomatic rules.

It also vowed to chase down those responsible and put them on trial.

The Philippines apologised but stressed that the embassy had been responding to the calls for assistance by Filipino nationals in distress.

On Thursday, the Philippine foreign ministry said it had served a diplomatic note to the Kuwaiti embassy in Manila conveying its strong surprise and great displeasure at the expulsion of Mr Villa and the detention of the four Filipinos hired by the embassy.

The ministry summoned Kuwaiti Ambassador Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh to protest but was informed by the embassy that he had been recalled for consultations.

The ministry said Mr Althwaikh had assured Foreign Minister Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday that Mr Villa was welcome to stay in Kuwait until the end of his tour of duty and that the arrested embassy employees would be released from custody.

According to the ministry, the ambassador had also promised to:

Facilitate the repatriation of more than 800 Filipinos staying in shelters in Kuwait run by the Philippine embassy.

Treat humanely any Filipinos detained after the expiry on Sunday of an amnesty for overstaying visas.

Ensure justice for pending and future cases filed by Filipinos who were victims of serious abuse.

In February, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered Filipinos working in Kuwait to return home after the body of Filipina maid Joanna Demafelis was found inside a freezer in an abandoned apartment, more than a year after she was reported missing.

Her employers, Lebanese national Nader Essam Assaf and his Syrian wife Mona, have been sentenced to death in absentia for killing her.

Mr Assaf is being detained in Lebanon while Ms Assaf is in custody in Syria, where the couple were arrested.

The Philippines on Monday expanded a ban on its citizens working in Kuwait after President Rodrigo Duterte angrily lashed out at the Gulf state over reports of Filipino workers suffering abuse and exploitation.

Authorities say 252,000 Filipinos work in Kuwait, many as maids. They are among over two million employed in the region, whose remittances are a lifeline to the Philippine economy.

But Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello Monday announced a total ban on new employment in the country, including Filipinos who had already obtained employment permits but had not yet left for Kuwait.

Authorities have not ruled out revoking the permits of Filipinos currently working in Kuwait or of previous hires returning on new contracts.

With the advent of the series of reports involving abuses and deaths of overseas Filipino workers in Kuwait, a total ban on deployment of all overseas workers ... is hereby enforced,” Bello said, reading an order.

This order takes effect immediately.

The move would affect thousands of workers, labour spokeswoman Abegail de Vega said.

The fresh move came after Duterte last month barred Filipinos from seeking work in Kuwait, although the ban exempted those who had already secured permission.

Last Friday Duterte hit out at Kuwait as he brandished photos reportedly of a Filipina maid found in a freezer, saying she had been roasted like a pig.

Kuwait’s embassy in Manila declined to comment.

The Philippine foreign affairs department said Monday authorities were repatriating 10,000 overstaying Filipinos from Kuwait, taking advantage of an amnesty programme arranged with the Kuwaiti government.

Officials added they were eyeing China and Russia as alternative markets for overseas workers.



Tourism Observer

Russia Changes Visa Rules,United Raises Compensation Limit To $10,000

Russia is going to make it simpler for the citizens of 18 countries to enter the port city of Vladivostok with an aim to attract gamblers to new casinos and also investors to the resourceful and yet untapped region of the Far East.

Japan, China and Iran are among the nations that would be eligible for a four-day, online application process for ‘visas on arrival’.

However, Vladivostok is the only point of entry so far that has been approved, since travel is restricted to eight days and only within the Primorsky Krai region.

Out of the nations on the list, only two nations of Japan and China can be realistically expected to make a noticeable impact on the tourist arrivals in the Far East region of Russia as per Irina Tyurina, a spokeswoman for the Russian Tourism Industry Union.

She said that the e-visa would make travelling more convenient for business people especially those who visit Russia by themselves.

Tourists from countries like China increased to 15% last year to 1.29 million, surpassing the arrivals from other 17 nations, according to data published by the federal government of Russia.

Out of the 16 countries on the list, eight nations like Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Algeria, Brunei, Bahrain and UAE are not included in the leading 80 sources for visitors, as per the data of the Russian Border Service.

However, an easier visa regime might witness a larger number of tourists arriving from Persian Gulf, as per the deputy deacon of the international tourism faculty at the Russian State Financial University, Yuri Schegolkov.

This brand new arrangement is expected to commence in September, just in time for the third Eastern Economic Forum on the 6th and 7th of that month in Russky Island, Vladivostok.

Meanwhile, United Airlines says it will raise the limit — to $10,000 — on payments to customers who give up seats on oversold flights and will increase training for employees as it deals with fallout from the video of a passenger being violently dragged from his seat.

It is also vowing to reduce, but not eliminate, overbooking-the selling of more tickets than there are seats on the plane.

United isn’t saying whether ticket sales have dropped since the removal of a 69-year-old passenger by three airport security officers, but the airline’s CEO admits it could be damaging.

To head off customer defections, United had already announced that it will no longer call police to remove passengers from overbooked flights, and will require airline crews traveling for work to check in sooner. On Thursday, it added several other new policies including:

Raising the limit on compensation to $10,000 for customers who give up their seats. That is a maximum — it’s unclear how many, if any, passengers would see that much. The current limit is $1,350. Delta Air Lines earlier this month raised its limit to $9,950.

Sending displaced passengers or crew members to nearby airports, putting them on other airlines or arranging for car transportation to get them to their destinations.

United said it will reduce but not end the overbooking of flights. Munoz said if airlines can’t overbook flights there will be more empty seats and fares will rise. Delta CEO Ed Bastian called overselling flights “a valid business process.”

Politicians in Washington and elsewhere have called for a ban on overselling flights. Some critics have said airlines should leave a few seats empty if they think they will be needed by crew members.

UAE: Are UAE Tourists Exempted From Traffic Fines?

A card with a Dubai Police logo has gone viral on social media, saying that tourists and visitors who flout traffic rules could be let off.

The General Department of Traffic of the Dubai Police denied rumours that the visitors and tourists in the UAE are exempted from minor traffic fines. The denial came in the wake of a card going viral on social media that the Dubai Police will pardon visitors who caught by radars.

The card, which was circulated in social media, read as follows: "Dear driver, as you are a guest in the UAE and came on visit visa to Dubai, you are welcomed and we wish you a good stay. We are sorry to inform you that you are caught by radars as you did not abide by traffic law. Despite that, we will not issue you a traffic fine. We do not want to issue a fine to you, but our goal is your safety."

Major-General Mohamed Saif Al Zafeen, Head of the Traffic Prosecution Council and Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police for Operations Affairs, said that the Dubai Police did not circulate the card that had a Dubai Police logo on it.

"A few years ago, the Dubai Traffic Department had exempted tourists who commit minor traffic violations from paying fines to make them happy. However, the Dubai Police have not taken any such decision recently and it is just a rumour. If there is any such decision, that will be announced by the Dubai Police through its official channels."

Maj.-Gen. Al Zafeen urged the public to confirm the news before circulating that to avoid legal action.

Citizens of UAE and India are eligible to visit Russia's Far East without visas, Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced on Monday.

Medvedev said tourists and businessmen from 18 nations can visit the Russian Far East without visas.

The list of 18 countries comprises UAE, India, Algeria, Bahrain, Brunei, Iran, Qatar, China, North Korea, Kuwait, Morocco, Mexico, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Tunisia, Turkey and Japan.

"I have recently approved the list of countries, whose nationals can take advantage of the preferential regime. Businessmen and tourists will not need to undergo the traditional procedure of Russian visas receipt," the Prime Minister said. It will be enough for foreigners "to enter their data on a special website in the Internet," Medvedev said.

"We are proactively forming the modern infrastructure and creating special regimes in the Far East; the law on visits to the Vladivostok free port was approved in March," Medvedev said.

Cancellation of visa procedures for tourists and businessmen "will promote growth of investment and tourist attractiveness of the Far East," the prime minister said. The region will earn more money from tourist traffic growth, he added.

Eighteen countries from various regions selected by the reciprocity principle were included into the list, Medvedev said. "This is not because these states are situated at a closer or longer distance - we are appropriately introducing bilateral agreements on visa-free travel for those ready to use such an approach for us," he was quoted as saying by TASS.

IRAN: Visas For Iran

Obtaining A Visa For Iran

30-day tourist visas are currently the norm for visitors to Iran, though Turkish passport holders and Macedonian passport holders are issued a 3-month visa on arrival.

Passport holders from Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia presently do not need a visa to enter Iran.

Visitors from Israel are not issued visas, nor people with Israeli stamps in their passports.

If your Iranian visa is refused for any reason, you may not have the application fee returned to you in some cases.

Most visa applicants now need a "sponsor" to gain a visa, which is most cases will be a visa or travel agency.

You will require a passport with more than six months validity, four passport-sized photos, the visa fee and a reference number issued by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Iran Visas for US Nationals
Allow yourself plenty of time before departure to secure your visa. US visitors may only be issued a visa as part of a group tour or an individual tour.

In order to get your visa for Iran apply to an approved Iranian travel agent in your country of residence. The approved Iranian travel agent will apply to the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on your behalf. Following authorization by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs your visa will be sent to the nearest Iranian Embassy or Consulate (see below) and you will receive a reference number to allow you to process and receive your Iran visa.

Once you have applied in good time (typically up to 6 weeks before you depart) and receive your visa you must enter Iran within 90 days. Usually the applicant must fill out 2 application forms, present 2 photographs (women may need to be photographed with hair covered), have a passport with at least 6 months validity and pay the visa fee.

Types of Iran Visas
There are different kinds of visas to enter Iran including: Business Visa, Entry Visa, Tourist Visa, Transit Visa and Journalist Visa.

Extending Your Iran Visa
If you wish to extend your visa for Iran, this can be done relatively smoothly in Tehran or other major cities including Esfahan, Kerman, Mashhad, Tabriz, Shiraz, and Zahedan at the provincial police station.

Visa On Arrival
Passport-holders from Albania, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Korea, Norway, Oman, Palestine, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Syria, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam are eligible to obtain a visa upon arrival (VOA) at Iranian airports.

These visas are of 15 days validity and can be extended for a further 15 days at Iranian international airports (see the list below) or immigration offices.

Visa on Arrival Airports
Tehran Imam Khomeini Airport (IKA), Tehran Mehrabad Airport (THR), Mashad Airport (MHD), Shiraz Airport (SYZ), Tabriz Airport (TBZ) and Isfahan Airport (ISF).

*Note: your visa may be denied on arrival (for example if you have an Israeli stamp or you have been refused a visa in the past). It is recommended you obtain a visa for Iran before arrival.

Iranian Embassies Overseas

Australia
25 Culgoa Circuit OMalley
ACT 2606 Canberra
Tel: 02 6290 2427

Canada
245 Metcalfe St.
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 2K2
Tel: 613 233 4726

Denmark
Engskiftevej 6
2100 Copenhagen
Tel: 391 600 71

France
4, Avenue D'Iiena
75116 Paris
Tel: 01 406 97900

Germany
Podbielskiallee 65/67,
14195 Berlin
Tel: 030 84 3530

Indonesia
Jalan HOS Cokroaminoto 110,
Menteng, Jakarta 10310
Phone : 21 3193 1378

Ireland
72 Mount Merrion Avenue
Blackrock
Dublin
Telephone: 01 288 5881

Japan
3-13-9 Minami Azabu,
Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0047
Tel: 03 3446 8011

Netherlands
Duinweg 20
2585JX Den Haag
Tel: 070 354 8483

New Zealand
151 Te Anua Road,
Hataitai, Wellington
Tel: 04 386 2976

Norway
Drammens veien 88 E
0244 Oslo
Tel: 23 27 29 60

United Kingdom
16 Princes Gate,
London SW7 1PT
Tel: 0207 225 3000

United States of America
The Iranian Interests Section of the Pakistan Embassy
2209 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W.
Washington 20007
Tel: 202 965 4990


Embassies & Consulates in Tehran
Your country's embassy or consulate is invaluable in an emergency. Embassies are usually able to supply information on local lawyers, doctors and interpreters as well as help in the case of stolen or lost passports and travel documents.

It may be advisable to register with your embassy by phone on arrival in Iran and to inform them on your departure.

Australia

No. 13, 23rd Street, Khalid Islamboli Avenue,
Tehran 15138, Iran
Tel: 021 8872 4456

Canada

57 Shahid Sarafaz Street, Ostad Motahari Avenue
Tehran 15868
Tel: 021 8873-2623-6

France

85 Nofl Loshato Street (rue Neauphle-le-Château)
Tehran 11348
Tel: 021 6670 60 05-08

Germany

Ferdowsi Avenue, 320-324
Tehran
Tel: 021 311 41 11

India

46, Mir Emad Street, Motahari Street,
Tehran
Tel: 021 875 51 03-5

Ireland

North Kamranieh Avenue
Bonbast Nahid Street, No. 9
Tehran 19369
Tel: 021 2280 3835

Japan

Bucharest Avenue, Corner of the 5th Street,
Tehran, (P.O. Box No. 11365-814)
Tel: 021 8717 923

Netherlands

Darrous, Shahrzad Blvd, Kamasaie Street, First East Lane No. 33
Tehran (P.O. Box 11365-138)
Tel: 021 256 70 05-7

New Zealand

No. 34, corner of 2nd Park Alley, Sosan Street
North Golestan Complex, Aghdasiyeh Street
Niavaran (PO Box 15875-4313)
Tehran
Tel: 021 280 0289

Switzerland

Elahieh, Ave Sharifi Manesh
13, Yasaman Street
P.O. Box 19395-4683
1964963751 Tehran
Tel: 021 2200 83 33

Embassy of Switzerland – U.S. Interests Section

Africa Ave, West Farzan Str. no. 59
P.O. Box 19395-4683
1968845114 Tehran
Tel: 021 8878 29 64

United Kingdom

198 Ferdowsi Avenue
(PO Box No 11365-4474)
Tehran 11344
Tel: 021 66705011-7

IRAN: Iran Starts Issuing Electronic Visas

Iran will start issuing electronic visas for foreign tourists, Masoud Soltanifar, Iran’s vice-president said.

Soltanifar, who heads Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, added that Tehran also pursues the issue of mutual visa waiver with certain countries, to promote tourism sector.

He did not unveil the names of countries with which Iran plans to eliminate the visa, but said that boosting the country’s tourism sector is a priority for the Iranian administration.

The Islamic Republic, currently issues 30-day visas for citizens of 190 countries upon arrival in its airports which can be extended for another 15 days, the Iranian official added.

He also said that Iran needs to attract foreign investment to develop its tourism sector.

According to Soltanifar, Iran stands as world’s 36th country for tourism revenue with an annual income of $7.5 to $8 billion.
The country should increase the share of tourism income from 0.5 percent to two percent of the country’s total revenues by 2021, based on the 20-year economic development plan.

Some 3.8 million of foreign tourists visited Iran, bringing $1.11 billion worth of income to the country in 2012. The figure stood at 4.77 million in 2013, 24.4 percent more year on year.

The foreign tourists were mainly from India, Azerbaijan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

INDIA: Jet Airways To Connect To Kuwait, Jeddah, Bengaluru and Chennai

India’s Jet Airways is increasing seat capacity on several routes with the introduction of its wide-bodied aircraft.

Airbus A330s will be deployed on routes connecting Mumbai with Kuwait, Jeddah, Bengaluru and Chennai this month, in some cases boosting capacity by 50%. The two-class A330s feature 18 flat-bed seats in business class and 236 seats in economy.

“The introduction of wide-body services on our key domestic routes not only allows Jet Airways to scale up capacity in response to increase in demand but also guarantees guests a superior flying experience,” said Jet’s chief commercial officer, Jayaraj Shanmugam. “The A330… is designed with a spacious cabin, greater leg-room, lie-flat beds in Premiere and all the comforts usually associated with long-haul international travel.”

The new wide-body service between Mumbai and Chennai will begin on 15 January 2017, followed by Mumbai-Jeddah and Mumbai-Bengaluru on 16 January and Mumbai-Kuwait on 18 January.

Last year, the airline began operating its A330s on the Mumbai-Delhi and Delhi-Kolkata routes.

QATAR: Cheesecake Factory Opens

M.H. Alshaya Co. opened Qatar’s first The Cheesecake Factory last month, representing the US brand’s eleventh restaurant in the Middle East.

The outlet is located in the newly opened Mall of Qatar, Qatar’s largest shopping centre.

The Doha-based branch is one of about 100 F&B outlets in the QAR5.4bn (US$1.48bn) mall — which opened more than a year after it was initially scheduled to be completed — spread out over a large food court.

The upscale casual dining chain, which is known for its extensive menu of more than 250 options, has focused on international expansion in recent years.

In 2012 the New York-listed restaurant chain signed a deal with Kuwait-based retailer Alshaya to franchise its outlets across the Gulf in its first overseas expansion. The deal allowed for more than 20 restaurants to be built in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait.

The Alshaya group opened the world's largest branch of The Cheesecake Factory at Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates in 2013.

TURKEY: Targeting Visitors From Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain

Turkey is targeting visitors from Oman during Eid Al Adha in a bid to bolster tourism numbers following the country's recent failed coup attempt.

Salih Ozer, an official from The Turkish Cultural and Tourism Office in Dubai, told Times of Oman: "The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism is looking to visitors from Oman and other Gulf countries to offset the recent slump in the nation's tourist numbers."

Tourism is vital to Turkey's GDP and political instability, and terrorism, has taken a toll on the sector.

Data from the Tourism Ministry showed Turkish tourist arrivals fell 40.86% year-on-year in June this year, with 2.44 million people arriving during the month. The data reveals the biggest drop on record, which goes back to 1994.

"In the past, visitors from Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain have represented the highest volume of visitors to the nation.

"We hope that the upcoming Eid Al Adha holidays will help boost tourist revenue, especially since the safety and comfort of tourists is being handled with the utmost care," Ozer added.

Drop In Pound To Better Tourism

Britain's recent exit from the European Union after more than four decades of membership, has been a topic of much discussion and debate. Despite the clouding uncertainties, the Brexit vote has not been without consequence for the travel industry, whether the short- or long-term.

'One thing is for sure: the drop in the value of the pound in the short-term will come as welcome news to those looking to visit the UK any time soon and to those that travel to the UK frequently, since the UK – London in particular – has suddenly become a little more affordable, to an extent,' says James Massoud from UK-based Wellington Travel and Tours, which is a luxury travel service provider with a focus on GCC countries.

'Whatever ripple effect Brexit will cause in the European Union, the Mena region and the GCC countries are now in a prime position to capitalise on the UK’s separation and further strengthen its relationship with Britain.' In the long-term, as the UK now looks ahead to a future of independence it will try to strengthen its trade relations with countries, particularly in the Middle East and Africa (Mena) region, Massoud suggests.

'About $18 billion of UK exports went to Mena in 2014. In turn, the UK will be reliant on tourism to help strengthen the economy, especially from the Middle East. Overseas visits to London have almost doubled in the last decade with almost 17 million people visiting the capital every year. Tourist spending has risen, too, by nearly 14 per cent, with visitors from the Middle East – in particular, the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia – spending the most.' TTN has reported in the past that the average GCC visitor spends £4,000 ($5,255) per visit to London.

'Britain is still a part of the European Union for the next two years, even if negotiations begin right away as expected. In his resignation speech, Prime Minister David Cameron stated that there would be no initial change to the way people travel.

'Going forward it might mean tighter border checks and potentially higher airfares. However, at such an early stage there is no way of knowing for sure. If these do happen as a result, they won’t come into effect for another couple of years once the UK has officially left the European Union,' says he.

ARMENIA: Armenia, Kuwait Sign Tourism And Agriculture Cooperation Pact For 2015-2017

Armenia and Kuwait have signed a tourism and agriculture cooperation program for 2015-2017, the press office of the Armenian government reported on Wednesday.

The Armenian premier-headed delegation is in Kuwait, invited by the head of Kuwaiti government Jaber al-Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah.

The agreement was signed by the minister of economy Karen Chshmarityan and minister of agriculture Sergo Karapetyan from the Armenian side, and by minister of trade and industry Abdel Muhsin Al-Mudij and the first vice-premier and foreign minister sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah.

The sides stressed the importance of intensified efforts from the Armenian-Kuwaiti intergovernmental commission. Opportunities for cooperation other fields, including industry and infrastructures, were discussed as well.

The delegations considered possible arrangement of direct flights between the two countries. Armenia’s premier Hovik Abrahamyan invited his Kuwaiti counterpart to visit Armenia.

TURKEY: AtlasGlobal Starts Daily Sharjah Service

Turkish airline AtlasGlobal has begun three-times weekly service between Istanbul Atatürk International Airport and Sharjah International Airport on Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays: the airline’s only route to the UAE. Majority owned by Turkish travel and tourism operator ETS Group, AtlasGlobal (formerly Atlasjet Airlines) now operates 37 domestic and international flights to Europe and the Near East including flights to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

AtlasGlobal’s A320 fleet operates the 3,013 kilometre sector between Istanbul and Sharjah, from its home base at Istanbul Atatürk International Airport and plans to make the new service a daily one. The airline is now the only carrier flying the route, although Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia offers a daily service from Sharjah International Airport to Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport.

Sharjah International Airport handled 10 million last year and is already a hub for a number of international passenger and cargo airlines including Air Arabia, Air India, Air India Express, Jet Airways (India), Qatar Airways, SpiceJet (India) and Sri Lankan Airlines. Air Arabia, the region’s largest low-cost carrier, serves 100 destinations in the Middle East, North Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia and Europe.

Sharjah opened a new super-jumbo capable AED 500 million (US$ 136m) airport runway in 2014, significantly expanding the airport’s capacity, in line with its goal of handling 25 million passengers by the year 2025. The airport also recently announced a new automated baggage management system, based on SITA’s baggage management and communication technology.

Sharjah International Airport will soon begin to levy a AED 35 (US$ 9.5) exit fee towards the infrastructure and expansion of the airport.

RUSSIA: Visit Russia Tourism Office Opens In Hanoi

The Russian government opened a Visit Russia office in the Vietnamese capital city of Hanoi on April 14. The office aims to promote tourism in Russia from ASEAN and East Asian countries.

The office will work with travel agencies from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and South Korea.

“The main missions of the office are to create a positive image of Russia as a country favorable for tourism and recreation, increasing confidence in the Russian tourism industry, and promoting all regions and all types of tourism in Russia from Asia,” Alexander Basov, the head of the Hanoi office told RBTH.

According to the latest Russian government statistics, tourism from Asian countries to Russia grew significantly in 2015. Last year, arrivals from Thailand grew by 76 percent, while the number of tourists visiting Russia from Vietnam grew by 57 percent. In 2015, the number of South Korean tourists visiting Russia grew by 41 percent.

Visit Russia also has offices in China, Germany, Finland, Italy, Iran, Kuwait and the UAE.

In 2015, the organization held 11 familiarization trips for tour operators and members of the media. It also conducted nine road shows. Over 500 foreign tour operators approached Visit Russia for information on tourism in Russia last year.

EU Seeking New Order On Airline Subsidies

The European Union is seeking tough powers to limit state subsidies to airlines as part of new commercial aviation agreements it wants to negotiate with several countries including the UAE and Qatar.

The EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, has drafted a “fair competition clause” that would give it the option of revoking traffic rights if a complaint is brought against an airline accused of receiving state subsidies.

The clause would be part of air transport agreement talks the executive arm wants to hold on behalf of EU member states with countries like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Turkey and others.

The document outlines what would be perceived as state support including protection from bankruptcy, provision of capital, tax relief and cross-subsidisation.

It also outlines a 30 day consulate period for disputes over allegations of unfair subsides and that if the talks fail the complaining country could suspend or revoke the accused airlines traffic rights and impose duties.

The argument over airline subsidies became increasingly politicised through 2015. Two of Europe’s largest carriers, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa, and major United States airlines accused Gulf counterparts Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways of being unfairly subsidised, an allegation they refute.

In response to the Reuters report, Etihad warned against protectionism in Europe, arguing it would be damaging for the aviation sector. “We are confident that the EC and European governments understand that, if heeded, the self-serving calls for protectionism by a few will undermine Europe’s connectivity and competitiveness as well as robust choices for consumers in Europe and elsewhere,” an airline spokesperson told Gulf News by email.

Etihad, which has bought stakes in four European carriers, said it would work with Europe “to pursue the Commission’s strategy to enhance the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of Europe’s aviation infrastructure. We will also continue to promote consumer choice, connectivity, innovation, legal certainty and investment.”

Emirates declined to comment, while Qatar did not respond to a request for comment.

The Commission is seeking a mandate from the 28-member EU bloc to negotiate these agreements on their behalf. Currently, air transport agreement negotiations take place between the governments of the two countries involved.

Etihad, Emirates and Qatar have warned in the past against protectionism in Europe and also the United State that they argue ultimately hurts the flying public.

BAHRAIN: 2015 Bahrain Received Over 10 Million Visitors

The Kingdom of Bahrain received more than 10 million tourists last year, according to Bahrain Authority for Tourism and Exhibitions (BATE)’s Acting CEO, Shaikh Khalid bin Humood Al Khalifa.

The Government of Bahrain, represented in the Directorate of Tourism, has put in huge efforts culminating in the selection of Manama as the Gulf Capital for Tourism2016, Shaikh Khalid told Akhbar Al Khaleej daily on Wednesday adding that ‘we have succeeded in the allocation of a budget for this important event.

The Kingdom is looking forward to an annual increase of approximately 8% in tourist arrivals this year.

The Directorate of Tourism, assisted with specialists, had conducted a study to glean the wishes of Arab Gulf tourists, incoming to Bahrain and to find out about their interests. In the activities, it was observed that they coincided with the holiday season in the Gulf states – especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar.

The survey has shown that the Gulf tourist prefers staying in apartments by 34% in contrast with 26% for rooms.

This led the Directorate to encourage more investments in hotel apartments, for the purpose of filling the gap in this sector, he added.

The Directorate of Tourism has also inked agreements to hold numerous family entertainment activities, to attract more tourists from the Arab Gulf states.

UAE: Etihad Adds More Flights To Manila

The new services will increase capacity between the two cities by almost 2,500 seats per week enabling Etihad to better serve the market in the UAE and the Philippines for point-to-point travel as well as supporting behind and beyond demand via its Abu Dhabi International Airport hub.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) national carrier, Etihad Airways is to boost flights to next year’s Routes Asia host city, Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The hub carrier will introduce an additional three weekly flights between Abu Dhabi International Airport and Ninoy Aquino International Airport from May 1, 2016, offering a total of 17 return flights per week in this market.

The new services will increase capacity between the two cities by almost 2,500 seats per week enabling Etihad to better serve the market in the UAE and the Philippines for point-to-point travel as well as supporting behind and beyond demand via its Abu Dhabi International Airport hub.

“The Abu Dhabi-Manila route is one of our strongest in terms of demand and has been capacity-constrained over the past few years,” explained James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways.

The enhanced flight schedule will provide enhanced connectivity via Abu Dhabi with 1,085 weekly connections to 58 destinations on the airline’s global network. This includes connections to Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Jeddah, Kuwait and Riyadh which are among the top 20 destinations for travellers to and from the Philippines.

The extra capacity would also enable Etihad Airways and its partner airlines to grow traffic beyond the local Middle East demand and grow the business and leisure travel market from the UAE and European countries such as the UK, France, and Italy.

“There’s huge potential to grow the visitor market, particularly from the Middle East and Europe, and we’re keen to work with our European partner airlines, the Philippines Government and its tourism board to showcase the beauty of the country and the friendliness of its people,” said Hogan.

“For holidaymakers, the Philippines – with its secluded islands, pristine beaches, undersea diving spots and luxury resorts – is one of the world’s best-kept secrets. The three additional weekly services between Abu Dhabi and Manila will help us realise this ambition,” he added.

Like Etihad’s two existing daily rotations between Abu Dhabi and Manila, the three additional flights will be operated by two-class Boeing 777-300ERs with 28 seats in Business and 384 in Economy. The additional frequency will also boost commerce and trade between the UAE and the Philippines. With a belly hold capacity of 18 tonnes, the B777-300ER offers the airline and its freight customers a significant opportunity to grow the export/import business, particularly in the area of electronics and fresh food.

Etihad commenced services to the Philippines in February 2006 and alongside its own flights has a codeshare arrangement with Philippine Airlines on its own five times weekly link between Manila and Abu Dhabi. It has carried an estimated 3.3 million passengers on the route during the almost ten years in the market with average load factors of around 91.5 per cent from Abu Dhabi and 95.7 per cent from Abu Dhabi, according to Sabre data.

Analysis of MIDT statistics for the first six months of this year shows that less than one fifth of passengers flying with Etihad between Abu Dhabi and Manila are flying on a point-to-point basis. An estimated 17.7 per cent of the demand during that period was local traffic, with connections via Abu Dhabi accounting for 77.8 per cent of the traffic.

After the Abu Dhabi and Manila local traffic, Doha, Qatar was the biggest single origin and destination market for passengers flying with Etihad on the route during the first six months of 2015, followed by the three Saudi Arabian cities of Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah. London Heathrow, UK; Milan Malpensa, Italy and Dublin, Republic of Ireland are the largest markets outside of the Middle East.

EGYPT: EgyptAir Considers Direct Flights From Gulf To Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurghada In January 2016

Egypt’s Ministries of Tourism and of Civil Aviation are studying the possibility of operating direct flights from the UAE, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia to Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh starting in January 2016, according to an official at the Ministry of Tourism.

The official said the Ministry of Tourism requested from EgyptAir to conduct two flights per week from Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, and Riyadh to Hurghada and Sharm El-Sheikh. EgyptAir is still considering the proposal.

The official said about 1.6 million Arab tourists from the Gulf visited Egypt last year, accounting for $1.5bn out of $7.3bn, the total tourism revenue that year. Arab tourism was expected to increase this year but that the incident involving the killing of Mexican tourists in September and the Russian plane crash in October negatively impacted the flow.

Minister of Tourism Hisham Zaazou was on a visit in the Emirate of Sharjah over the past two days in a meeting with Arab Ministers of Tourism.

The Ministry of Tourism issued a statement that Zaazou presented a plan to implement tourism packages that do not require funding. The statement also highlighted means of cooperation between Arab countries, such as training programmes, statistical systems, electronic exchange of experiences, and circulating periodicals papers between the Arab League countries.

According to the official, the flow of Jordanian tourists to Egypt increased by 20%, over the past two years, especially to Sharm El-Sheikh, Taba, and Nuweiba. Most Jordanian tourists’ ages ranged between 30 and 50.

Head of Arab tourism at the Egyptian Federation of Chambers of Tourism Nasser Turk said the market has recently witnessed a lot of changes, and called for officials to reconsider the market and research it again.

“Arab tourists are no longer only interested in Cairo, but look for new cultures and beaches, due to the growing number of youths coming to Egypt seeking recreational activities,” Turk said.

EU Commission Seeks Airline Pacts In Gulf To Stop Subsidies

The European Union's transport chief sought more leverage to fight alleged unfair subsidies to airlines based in the Persian Gulf in a bid to create a "level playing field" for EU flag carriers.

European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc asked EU governments for authority to negotiate aviation agreements with the six countries that belong to the Gulf Cooperation Council. Curbing any market-distorting aid to operators such as Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways would be a goal of the negotiations.

Bulc's request is part of a European aviation package that also seeks deals with China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Mexico, Turkey and Armenia; foresees guidelines on the control of EU airlines; and proposes a regulatory framework for the use of drones. The targeted accords with the Persian Gulf states are a priority because countries such as the United Arab Emirates have fast-growing aviation markets and the issue of subsidies in the GCC has become politically sensitive in Europe.

"While the additional connections provided by the Gulf airlines are welcome, there are concerns regarding the conditions under which they operate," the European Commission said in a statement about the package on Monday in Brussels. "The right way forward" is "to bridge the interests of both sides by creating conditions that will allow further market development and growth based on common rules and transparency."

The commission, the 28-nation EU's regulatory arm, is preparing for a bigger battle over state aid to Gulf-based airlines after national governments in Europe joined European carriers such as Air France-KLM Group and Deutsche Lufthansa in raising the issue.

France and Germany voiced concerns about foreign subsidies earlier this year at an EU meeting where transport ministers debated global aviation competition. The chief executive officers of several European airlines, including Air France-KLM and Lufthansa, wrote a letter to Bulc in December 2014 urging her to step up efforts to tackle government support for Gulf rivals.

Total seats on scheduled flights between the EU and the GCC nations have more than tripled over the past decade to 39 million this year, the commission said on Monday. The UAE has more direct traffic with the EU than China, India and Japan combined, according to the commission.

Bulc said she wants EU governments to give her "open and dynamic" mandates to negotiate aviation agreements with the GCC, which also includes Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. The deals being sought are dubbed "comprehensive" because, in addition to provisions on "fair competition," they would cover such areas as market access, investment and technologies for air-traffic management.

At a press conference, Bulc refused to be drawn on the question of subsidies in the Persian Gulf.

"I am very careful about that," she said. "I don't want to generalize in this matter. And that's exactly why we are proposing comprehensive bilateral agreements where fair competition is one of the clauses. We really want to address it in a very comprehensive level."

As part of any accords, she said the EU would be prepared to ease its 49 percent limit on foreign ownership of airlines based in the bloc in return for reciprocal rights abroad for European companies. Etihad Airways has a 49 percent stake in Alitalia and a 29 percent holding in Air Berlin.

An existing EU aviation agreement with the United States has failed to abolish foreign-ownership curbs because of American defense of the country's 25 percent limit on voting equity, while a European pact with Canada foresees the scrapping of control restrictions once the Canadian government takes the necessary steps.

For investors in countries that have no derogation from the EU's limit on foreign ownership of carriers, the aviation package promises "interpretative guidelines" at a later stage on the enforcement of the cap. The limit is enshrined in a 2008 European law requiring that EU states and/or nationals own more than 50 percent of any airline based in the bloc and "effectively control" it.

In their letter to Bulc a year ago, the group of European airline CEOs also pressed her to ensure that foreign investments in EU-based airlines "strictly comply" with the 2008 legislation. In addition to the heads of Air France-KLM and Lufthansa, the letter was signed by the CEOs of three Lufthansa units: Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines.

The goal of the planned guidelines is to "bring more legal certainty for airlines and investors," Bulc said on Monday.

Most Gulf Carriers Re-routed Flights Over Sinai After Russian Crash

Most Gulf airlines said on Sunday they were re-routing flights to avoid Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, where a Russian aircraft carrying 224 passengers crashed on Saturday.

Carriers from United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait said they would re-route flights as a security precaution until there was more clarity. Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways said it would continue to fly over Sinai but avoid certain areas on the advice of Egyptian authorities.

Air traffic in the region has been on alert since a militant group linked to Islamic State in Egypt said it had brought down the plane “in response to Russian air strikes that killed hundreds of Muslims on Syrian land”.

A Russian aviation official said the aircraft had broken up in mid-air but it was too early to draw any conclusions. The Russian plane crashed into a mountainous area of central Sinai.

German carrier Lufthansa and Air France-KLM said they had decided to avoid flying over the peninsula while they waited for clarity on what caused the crash.

Qatar Airways, budget carrier Jazeera Airways from Kuwait and Bahrain’s Gulf Air said late on Sunday that they would avoid flying over the peninsula, according to separate statements.

“Out of an abundance of caution, Qatar Airways will re-route flights to avoid the Sinai Peninsula airspace until more information is known regarding the tragic loss,” the Doha-based airline said.

Earlier in the day, Emirates, flydubai and Air Arabia, all from the United Arab Emirates, confirmed taking the same security precautions.

Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways said it continues to fly over the Sinai region but is avoiding airspace over some of its areas in accordance with instructions by the Egyptian authorities. This would impact “a handful” of its flights, it said in a statement.

Re-routing usually means longer flying distances, which add to fuel costs.

British budget carrier easyJet said it was taking advice from all relevant authorities and was continuing to “actively review” the situation. It said that it, like other British airlines, did not overfly central and northern Sinai on the advice of Britain’s Department of Transport.

“Based on the information received to date, easyJet plans to continue to operate flights to Egypt to carry holidaymakers as planned to and from Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada but will continue to actively review the situation,” it said in a statement.

British Airways said in a statement that it did not discuss flight routes, “however we would never fly a route unless it was safe to do so”.

UAE: Gulf Tourists Spent SR22bn In Kingdom Last Year

Saudi Arabia's pavilion at Arab Tourism Exhibition in Dubai.

Last year, 6.6 million tourists from the Arabian Gulf spent SR22.8 billion in the Kingdom, according to a report from the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH) released here this week.

A report by Tourism Information and Research Center (MAS), the statistical arm of SCTNH, indicated that the number of people who visited the Kingdom during the past year (2014) from GCC countries was 11.3 million visitors.

One-day visits, without an overnight stay accounted for SR4.7 million. Over 6.6 million tourists spent about SR22.8 billion — where the one-day visitor without an overnight stay is not considered a tourist by global tourism concept.

Both Kuwait and Bahrain had a large presence in terms of the number of tourist arrivals to the Kingdom by about 33 percent each, followed by Qatar and the United Arabic Emirates.

The Makkah province including Makkah, Jeddah and Taif, occupied the first position in receiving GCC tourists, followed by Madinah, Eastern Province, Riyadh and Asir.

The first half of 2015 provided a total number around 7.4 million GCC visitors to the Kingdom, an increase of 25 percent compared with the same period last year, of whom 2.1 million visitors were day visitors-without overnight stay. About 5.2 million tourists spent about 30.5 million nights and spent nearly SR11.8 billion which went into the Saudi economy.

The ministers of tourism of GCC countries endorsed in their second meeting, which was held in Doha on October 7, a plan of action to strengthen intraregional tourism, and established a group chaired by Prince Sultan bin Salman, president of SCTNH, to lay out a comprehensive joint tourism vision, for strategic goals, in addition to preparing an implementation plan to achieve the vision and strategic goals within three months.

SCTNH supports Saudi travel companies in organizing tours for GCC nationals through engaging them in specialized travel exhibitions such as Arabian Travel Market, which is held annually in Dubai, and the Travel and Tourism Exhibition in Kuwait.