EUROPE: Hyatt Takes Alila To Europe

Hyatt is to bring its newly-acquired Alila brand to Europe, with a new hotel in La Gruyere, western Switzerland.

The brand currently operates 20 properties in Indonesia, India, China, Cambodia, Malaysia, Oman and the US.

Alila La Gruyere is due to open in 2023, overlooking a lake in Pont-La-Ville and forming part of the Golf Resort La Gruyere development.

It will have 85 hotel rooms alongside spa, conference and meetings facilities, restaurants, and a world class 18 hole golf course.

Hyatt took over Alila last year as part of its acquisition of lifestyle hotel management group Two Roads Hospitality.

Guido Fredrich, Hyatt regional vice president of development for Europe, said: "The Alila brand offers tremendous potential for growth in Europe by responding to the increasing trend of eco-tourism and wellness travel.

"We also know that well-travelled guests are looking to make impactful connections, and the Alila brand caters to this demand by crafting rare and intimate experiences."

Alila Hotels and Resorts is a hotel management company that operates in Indonesia, India, Oman and China, with their headquarters located in Singapore. Alila Hotels and Resorts is part of the Global Hotel Alliance.

Alila Hotels and Resorts was founded in May 2001 when their first property, "Alila Jakarta", opened its doors in Indonesia’s capital city. The brand was founded primarily by Mark Edleson, Alila operates 11 properties in Asia.

At present Alila Hotels and Resorts has a portfolio of 11 properties located in Indonesia, India and Oman. These hotels and resorts are also members of Design Hotels, which features properties that showcase modern design.
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In December 2012, Alila Hotels and Resorts added a liveaboard Phinisi sailing ship to their portfolio named the Alila Purnama.

It was the brand’s first luxury liveaboard ship. At present, the ship sails over the Indonesian waters of Raja Ampat and the Komodo area.

In May 2014, Alila Hotels and Resorts and Commune Hotels & Resorts announced their new partnership. Commune Hotels & Resorts owns Joie de Vivre Hotels, Thompson Hotels and tommie.RAlila was awarded The Best Foreign Hotel Brand 2010 by Condé Nast Traveller.


Tourism Observer

UAE: Dubai Airport Crash Kills 17 Holidaymakers

An airport bus crash in Dubai has killed 17 people of different nationalities, Dubai Police have said.

Three people were also severely injured in the incident on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road. Officers said the bus, driving a route between Muscat, in Oman, and Dubai, crashed into an overhead sign.

The driver of the bus, believed to be in his 50s, survived the crash and is receiving treatment for his moderate injuries at Rashid Hospital. Dubai Police Chief Maj Gen Abdullah Al Marri described the crash as a tragic incident.


He said: Sometimes a simple error or negligence during driving leads to serious consequences, as happened this evening, and resulted in the deaths of 17 people of different nationalities.

Mwasalat, a government owned bus company in Oman, said the crash happened at 6pm local time on Thursday.

Mwasalat family expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured. The service has now been suspended until further notice.

Police previously stated that 15 of the 31 people on-board the bus had died in the crash. They later corrected this to 17, confirming that two more passengers, including an unnamed woman, had died.

Dubai Police said the general directorate of Dubai Police extends its sincere condolences to the families of the deceased in the unfortunate accident.

Fiona Geraghty, 28, from Balbriggan, Co Dublin, was taking a year-long career break in the capital city, when the bus crashed into an overhead sign at 5.40pm local time.

Fiona Geraghty, from Co Dublin was killed during the Dubai Airport bus crash.

She had been taking a year long career break with her boyfriend, when the bus crashed into an overhead sign on Thursday.

She was travelling with her boyfriend, also a teacher in his 20s, when the disaster unfolded.

He was left with serious injuries and suffered internal injuries, but is recovering at Rashid Hospital.

Fiona and her boyfriend, were about to extend their stay in Dubai for another year.

They had both had been teaching at the School of Research Science in Al Warqa, Dubai.

Fiona’s parents were in Lanzarote celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary when they got the call yesterday that their pride and joy was gone.

She was a lovely, bright, young, intelligent girl, who loved life. I’m just devastated. I feel for her family, I’m numb.

Police Chief Maj Gen Abdullah Al Marri said people lost their lives because of a simple error or negligence during driving.

Officials later said the bus drove straight into a low-clearance sign, forcing the sign to sweep straight into the driver's side of the vehicle.

He is among seven passengers, and the driver, recovering from their injuries at Rashid Hospital.

His condition is believed to be stable.

The bus, which had 31 passengers on board, was travelling from Oman to Dubai when it crashed into the height restriction sign while come off a main highway.

Dubai police said that the incident occurred on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road.

The government-owned bus company Mwasalat, expressed their condolences.

It said in a statement: "Mwasalat family expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured."

The bus was full of holidaymakers returning from Oman after the Eid holidays when it crashed on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road around 6pm local time.

Relations were said to be desperately trying to get information on passengers' conditions from Rashid Hospital officials.

Police said that the unfortunate incident is being investigated, and thanked the competent authorities involved for helping at the scene.

The force said after the tourist bus collided with a directive sign, the bodies and the injured have been transferred to authorities.

Dubai Police added: "The general directorate of Dubai Police extends its sincere condolences to the families of the deceased in the unfortunate accident.

The Oman-registered bus was carrying passengers between Dubai and Muscat.

The bus drove straight into a low-clearance sign in the Rashidiya district.

The Consulate General of India, Dubai, tweeted that eight Indians had died in the bus crash.


Tourism Observer

OMAN: SalamAir An Expanding Low-cost Airline From Oman

SalamAir is a low-cost airline from Oman headquartered and based at Muscat International Airport.

Salam Air is owned by the Muscat National Development and Investment Company (ASAAS) which won a government tender in January 2016.

Founded in 2014, ASAAS is a partnership between the State General Reserve Fund, Muscat Municipality, and various pension funds. Oman's Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA) had invited bids in 2015 for a low-cost commercial airline operator in Oman.

The airline operates three Airbus A320-200s leased from South America’s LATAM Group. Its first aircraft arrived in Muscat on November 18, 2016 to coincide with the country’s National Day.

The airline commenced flights between the Omani cities of Muscat and Salalah from 30 January 2017, SalamAir flew the Muscat–Dubai route, the airline's first international service, on 28 February 2017.

It initially served Dubai World Central but the service has switched to Dubai International Airport on October 2017. Since opening, Salam Air started operations to Jeddah, Madinah and Ta'if in KSA, and has also launched flights to Karachi, Multan, Sialkot and in Pakistan.

Qatar is planned to be the third country the airline will operate to flying Hamad International Airport.

As of March 2017, Khalid Al Yahmadi held the chairman position. As of July 2018, the CEO position is held by Mohammed Ahmed

SalamAir serves the following destinations:

- Baku, Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev International Airport

- Dhaka, Bangladesh, Shahjalal International Airport

- Doha, Qatar, Hamad International Airport

- Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Dubai International Airport

- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz International Airport

- Karachi, Pakistan, Jinnah International Airport

- Kathmandu, Nepal, Tribhuvan International Airport

- Khartoum, Sudan, Khartoum International Airport

- Medina, Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport

- Multan, Pakistan, Multan International Airport

- Mukhaizna, Oman, Mukhaizna Airport

- Muscat, Oman, Muscat International Airport

- Najaf, Iraq, Al Najaf International Airport

- Salalah, Oman, Salalah International Airport

- Shiraz, Iran, Shiraz International Airport

- Sialkot, Pakistan, Sialkot International Airport

- Sohar, Oman, Sohar Airport

- Tbilisi, Georgia, Tbilisi International Airport

SalamAir fleet consists of the following aircraft:

- Airbus A320-200 (3) Carrying 174 Passengers

- Airbus A320neo (1)

- Total Aircraft (4)


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.

Qantas No More Melbourne-Dubai-London Flights

Qantas Airways has plans to drop the Melbourne-Dubai-London flights it is currently operating with Emirates in order to boost its services on the UK route and meet high demand from the Asian market.

The move also comes in the wake of heightened security measures that affect flyers from Dubai and other parts of the Middle East.

The Aussie carrier revealed the plans on Thursday when it announced the sale of tickets for its upcoming non-stop flights between Perth and London, which will begin on March 24, 2018.

The new Perth-London service will fly passengers from Melbourne to the UK and back without passing through Dubai, eventually reducing the travel time by more than one hour.

“The new QF9/10 will replace Qantas’ existing Melbourne-Dubai-London services,” Qantas said in a statement released on Thursday.

“With a faster flying time and quicker connections in Perth, customers travelling to London from Melbourne will reduce their total travel time by more than an hour compared with existing Qantas A380 services.”

The airline’s A380 that currently serves the Melbourne-London route will be redeployed to meet periods of high demand from Melbourne and Sydney to destinations in Asia, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, Qantas added.

The airline, however, assured that its partnership with Emirates will continue to deliver services for the European market.

Qantas customers in Melbourne will have the option to fly with partner Emirates on Qantas code to Dubai and then direct nearly 40 destinations in Europe. Emirates is up-gauging its third daily flight from the Victorian city from a Boeing 777-300ER to an A380 service from the 25th March, 2018.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the route will boost tourism in Australia and meet the growing demand from travellers. He noted that since its announcement in December 2016, the Perth-London service had attracted a lot of interest.

This route makes Western Australia a new tourism gateway for Australia. We know from our research that there’s a lot of appetite to explore the West, not just from British and European visitors but also from Aussies on their way to London.

A lot of business travellers, particularly in the resources sector, will stop off in Perth on their way to the UK.

Oman’s new budget airline SalamAir will operate as many as 12 Airbus A320 narrow body jets by 2020, as it aims for profitability by the end 2018, its chief executive said on Wednesday.

Launched in January, SalamAir has started flights from Muscat to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Salalah in Oman.

It plans to increase its fleet to between 10 and 12 A320s by 2020 from the three it has leased from Chile’s LATAM Airlines, CEO Francois Bouteiller said in Dubai.

Two to three of those will be added in 2018, he said.

Bouteiller said the airline is yet to decide if it should purchase or continue to lease aircraft but that it would only be interested in current model Airbus A320s and not the ‘neo’ variant.

SalamAir expects to carry between 750,000 and 800,000 passengers in 2017 with a load factor or how full its planes are of between 70 per cent and 80 per cent.

Bouteiller said the airline would mostly fly to destinations within three hours flying time of Oman.

The carrier, owned by the Omani government pension funds and the Muscat municipality, will launch up to five new routes from May: Medina in Saudi Arabia, Sialkot, Karachi and Multan in Pakistan and Dhaka in Bangladesh, Bouteiller said.

SalamAir is the second airline operating in Oman after state-owned Oman Air. SalamAir operates a single economy class product with 174 seats.

Malaysia Airlines has offered to lease Airbus A330 jets from Alitalia if the struggling Italian airline is wound up, the Asian carrier’s chief executive said on Wednesday.

Alitalia is preparing for special administration proceedings after workers rejected its latest rescue plan, making it impossible for the loss-making airline to secure funds to keep its aircraft flying.

Workers are hoping the Italian government will step in with an alternative rescue deal.

Malaysia Airlines could take between six and eight Airbus A330s from Alitalia, CEO Peter Bellew told Reuters in Dubai. “I hope Alitalia stays in business but it doesn’t look good to me today. I think it’s hard to see how they are going come back from the pressure they are sitting on at the moment,” he said.

An Alitalia spokesman declined to comment.

Malaysia Airlines is emerging from a turnaround after suffering two tragedies in 2014, when flight MH370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing disappeared in what remains a mystery, and then flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over eastern Ukraine.

Its load factors or how full its planes are averaged around 80 per cent in the three months to March 31, Bellew said.

Malaysia Airlines wants to lease between six and eight A330s or Boeing 777s for use from 2018 and a further seven to nine from 2019, he said, expecting to finalise most of those deals in the next four to six weeks.

This is an increase on the six for 2018 and six for 2019 he told Reuters last month he was interested in. “The world really is awash right now,” Bellew said with regard to spare wide-body aircraft, adding that he also saw opportunities to take aircraft from Middle East carriers.

There are really good deals out there at the moment. It’s a buyer’s market right now. Bellew also said he planned to make a decision on an order for 30-35 new Airbus A330neo or Boeing 787-9 wide-body planes in the next four to six months to replace existing aircraft in its fleet from the end of 2019.

If the prices are good we will do an order, he said.

But they need to sharpen their pencils because they are still unrealistic with the pricing in the current market. Malaysia Airlines would look for more leases if it doesn’t get the pricing it wants, he said.

It could also convert or add to an existing order for 25 of Boeing’s new generation 737 MAX 8 narrow body aircraft or the proposed bigger MAX 10 version currently being offered informally to the market by the US plane maker.

Bellew did not say how many could be ordered or when a decision might be made.

Industry sources said on Tuesday that Boeing was nearing a decision to launch the MAX 10 plane at the Paris Airshow in June.

Malaysia Airlines plans to trim its narrowbody fleet to between 35 and 40 aircraft from 54 currently and increase its number of wide-bodies from 15 to 35.

The airline is aiming for a return to profitability by 2018 and stock market listing in March the following year.

Bellew said he believed a majority of the airline would be listed.

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

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.

OMAN: Oman Tourism And Convention Bureau

Oman should set up a tourism and convention bureau to market itself as a tourism hub, Tanfeedh has said.

“The bureau should handle digital marketing, and market-based representation, and also establish an e-concierge platform which will be funded by tourism tax,” it observed.

Tanfeedh also felt that there was a need to activate the tourism development fund. “This initiative aims to activate the tourism development fund that is stipulated in the tourism law. It will have various sources of funding, primarily tourism tax, and will be utilised for tourism development and promotion activities,” it said.

According to Tanfeedh, private management companies should be hired to take over heritage sites and protected areas to develop a year-round calendar of events, create iconic tourism projects, and facilitate delivery of ITCs, hotels, and themed attractions.

Tanfeedh also said cluster plans for Musandam, Nizwa, Muscat and Sur should be brought online as quickly as possible.

Other measures suggested by the Tanfeedh labs are introducing labour solution packages, extending lease options, introducing easier visa processes for new target markets, establishing a centralised infrastructure board, and activating a tourism development fund.

The most challenging issues in the tourism sector, Tanfeedh stated,were the complex and lengthy processes of approvals, applications, and licences for new and existing projects. “Also, there is a paucity of innovative tourism products, services and activities capable of attracting more tourists,” it said.

It also pointed out that there was limited co-ordination between government bodies, especially with regard to tourism planning and land allocation for tourism investment.

“There is also limited interest from Omani youth in being employed in the tourism sector,” Tanfeedh believed.

Travel agents and hoteliers welcomed Tanfeedh’s proposals. “We need more tourists from abroad especially when oil prices are plummeting,” Lohithakshan Kizhakkayil, an official at New Star International Travel and Tours LLC, said.

Others commented that expanding the visa-on-arrival scheme to more countries would be a goodidea to attract tourists.

“The visa system has to be simplified and relaxed to woo tourists from abroad,” Sudhakar Rao, a travel consultant, said.

One leading hotelier, who did not wish to be named, however, injected a note a caution. “We would like to wait and see the proposals in detail before we comment,” he said.


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USA: Solar Plane Arrives In Arizona

A solar-powered airplane landed in suburban Phoenix Monday night after a daylong flight from California — the latest leg in its around the world journey using only energy from the sun.

The Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 arrived in the suburb of Goodyear, just to the southwest of Phoenix, shortly before 9 p.m. PDT.

Pilot Andre Borschberg called the 16-hour trip "a beautiful flight," after stepping from the cockpit.

"It was a special flight; not a long flight," he added.

The aircraft took off from Mountain View in northern California shortly after 5 a.m.

It began its globe-circling journey last year, and flew from Hawaii to the Silicon Valley last week.

After Phoenix, the plane will make two more stops in the United States before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Europe or northern Africa, according to the website documenting the journey.

For several minutes after arriving, Borschberg remained aboard as powerful winds buffeted the aircraft, forcing the ground crew to hold down it down with straps.

"Sometimes it is more difficult to handle the airplane on the ground than in flight," he told reporters later.

Video from cameras aboard the aircraft as well as on the ground at the Goodyear airport showed the Solar Impulse as it flew through the night sky enroute to its safe touch down southwest of Phoenix.

Hours earlier, shortly after takeoff, Borschberg used his phone to snap photos of the sun coming up along the horizon. Then he prepared for media interviews and made breakfast plans.

"I'm heating up water for coffee," Borschberg told his ground crew. "A nice Nescafe."

His co-pilot, Bertrand Piccard, also of Switzerland, made the three-day trip from Hawaii to the heart of Silicon Valley, where he landed last week.

The Solar Impulse 2's wings, which stretch wider than those of a Boeing 747, are equipped with 17,000 solar cells that power propellers and charge batteries. The plane runs on stored energy at night.

The two legs to cross the Pacific were the riskiest part of the plane's travels because of the lack of emergency landing sites.

"We have demonstrated it is feasible to fly many days, many nights, that the technology works" said Borschberg, 63, who piloted the plane during a five-day trip from Japan to Hawaii and who kept himself alert by doing yoga poses and meditation.

The crew was forced to stay in Oahu for nine months after the plane's battery system sustained heat damage on its trip from Japan.

The single-seat aircraft began its voyage in March 2015 from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates and made stops in Oman, Myanmar, China and Japan.

The layovers will give the pilots a chance to swap places and engage with local communities along the way so they can explain the project, which is estimated to cost more than $100 million and began in 2002 to highlight the importance of renewable energy and the spirit of innovation.

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.

UNITED KINGDOM: Middle East Private Jets Worth $646.9M Up For Sale

According to Global Jet Capital, Saudi Arabia has the largest fleet of private jets in the Middle East, with 144 planes.

Three of 17 private jets owned by Lebanese businessmen are up for sale, London-based company Global Jet Capital has said.

Global Jet Capital, a provider of financing solutions for large-cabin, long-range private jets, reveals there are around 62 aircraft of this size for sale in the Middle East, with a combined value of around $646.9 million.

The report did not disclose the names of the Lebanese who own the private jets or those whose aircraft are up for sale.

“Some 19 of these [62] aircraft are registered in Saudi Arabia, and 18 are in the United Arab Emirates. The remainder is spread out across the Middle East,” Global Jet revealed in a statement.

The findings show that in total, there are around 559 mid- to large-sized private jets in the region, meaning that around 11 percent of the fleet is currently for sale.

It added that the aviation finance specialist, which recently agreed to purchase the aircraft lease and loan portfolio of GE Capital Corporate Aircraft in the Americas representing approximately $2.5 billion of net assets, has around $1 billion to lend to clients to purchase relevant business aircraft in the Middle East and elsewhere around the world.

“The aircraft Global Jet Capital funds typically cost between $25 million and $75 million each, and it says up to 80 percent of the funding used to purchase these is sourced through external financing,” the statement said.

Shawn Vick, executive director of Global Jet Capital said: “Over the long term we expect to see growth in the sale of mid- to large-sized business jets in the region, and we are well positioned to meet the finance demand to help facilitate this.”

“Many potential clients will be looking to upgrade to a more modern aircraft, but as the region’s wealth increases, we expect to see more first-time buyers,” he added.

According to the table provided by Global Jet Capital, Saudi Arabia has the largest fleet of private jets in the Middle East with 144, followed by Turkey’s 108, UAE’s 97, Kuwait’s 27, Iran’s 26, Qatar’s 24, Jordan’s 21, Lebanon’s 17, Oman’s 15 and Bahrain’s 12.

UAE: Halal Tourism Grows As Travel Companies Cater To Muslim Faithful

A rental company in Orlando, Florida, is offering "halal vacation homes" with curtained pool decks and rooms with prayer mats and copies of the Quran. A British company's app lists gourmet restaurants serving halal meat in London and Dubai, while a Boston-based developer's app offers travel guides for 90 cities with local prayer times and a compass pointing Muslims toward Mecca for daily prayers.

The so-called "halal tourism" market was once seen as a niche revenue stream, limited to pilgrimages like the multi-billion dollar-a-year revenue stream generated by Muslim travelers to Mecca. But now there's a movement in the tourism industry to widen the "halal tourism" market to cater to Muslim travelers worldwide, particularly those from wealthy Gulf Arab states.

Travelers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman will spend $64 billion traveling this year and are expected to spend $216 billion by 2030, according to a 2014 study for the travel tech company Amadeus. The study found that, on average, a traveler from these countries spends around $9,900 per trip outside the Gulf. For Emiratis, the figure reaches $10,400.

OMAN: Starbucks Opens At Muscat Grand Mall

Starbucks, the global coffee giants opened their newest outlet in the heart of the city during Eid al Fitr, with their latest retail store in Muscat Grand Mall giving cause for celebration to coffee enthusiasts in the capital.

The newly opened Starbucks is conveniently located to the Cinema and Food court areas and is directly adjacent to the heart of the Mall where events and promotions give prominence to its location.

The Starbucks kiosk is unique in its design, materials and layout, carefully studied to complement both the elements in its surrounding context and also the inspiration of the Omani landscape into the design concept.

The contemporary feel, partially enclosed with natural wood elements seen in the balustrading details and casework carrying English and Arabic burnt text compliment the localized coffee story to the store.

The opening of the new Starbucks kiosk added to the Mall’s Eid al Fitr celebrations, which witnessed an enormous turnout during the holiday period, welcoming visitors not only from the Sultanate, but from across the region.

Hassan Jaboub, General Manager of Muscat Grand Mall commented on the opening. He said, “At Muscat Grand Mall, we wanted to provide easy access to coffee lovers everywhere to the brands that they love, and this new Starbucks outlet adds to our already existing diverse options available to customers.”

Since 1971, Starbucks has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting the highest quality Arabica coffee in the world.

Today, with stores around the globe, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through an unwavering commitment to excellence and strong guiding principles, Starbucks bring a unique experience to life for every customer through every cup.

The MGM store arrangement focuses on functionality both in layout and seating styles displaying comfort and café style arrangements for all visitors to enjoy. The Starbucks iconic word mark and ‘green dot’ prominently located to give the Brand prominence and visibility for all Starbucks loyal customers of the Sultanate.