South Korea's Hospitality Market Growth Trajectory

 South Korea's hotel market has seen significant growth over the past two years, with substantial increases in Average Daily Rate (ADR), Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR), and occupancy rates.  Key drivers of this growth include strong domestic and international demand, the Korean cultural wave (Hallyu), and medical tourism.South Korea has solidified its position as one of the leading hotel markets in the Asia-Pacific region, driven by robust domestic and international demand over the past two years.The country's impressive performance metrics highlight its resilience and potential for sustained growth in the hospitality sector.

Dubai Unveils Gaming Visa

 Dubai has introduced a new long-term visa called the Dubai Gaming Visa to attract game developers, content creators, and professional gamers from around the world. This visa is part of Dubai's strategy to grow its gaming sector, an initiative launched by the Crown Prince of Dubai.introducing this program last fall, the goal is to position Dubai among the top 10 global cities in the gaming industry within the next ten years.Russia and India to Discuss Visa-Free Travel Agreement

Remarkable Growth in German Tourists' Demand for Traveling to Turkey

 Germany, as one of Turkey's significant tourism markets, is witnessing a substantial increase in demand for traveling to this country. Consequently, German airlines such as SunExpress, Corendon, Condor, and Turkish national carrier are expanding their flight routes and aircraft fleets to Turkey in the coming years. According to a report from the German Travel Agencies Association, Turkey, which hosted 6.2 million German tourists last year, continues to experience a significant influx of these tourists this summer season. As a result, travel agencies are increasing hotel capacities, and airlines are expanding their flights to Turkey. Given the rising demand from German tourists, Turkish hotels are also increasing their capacity.

Minor Hotels Group has inaugurated two new hotels in the UAE

Minor Hotels, a leading hotel group in Asia, unveiled two new hotels under the Anantara brand in the first quarter of the current year in the United Arab Emirates.These two new hotels are exemplary showcases of the group's ability to create distinctive hotel products with unique identities, even within one country and under a single brand.The opening of these two new hotels demonstrates Minor Hotels' commitment to expanding the Anantara brand in the Middle East. Currently, the hotel group operates 13 Anantara hotels in the region and plans to open fifty more hotels in the next three years.

Etihad Airways Reports AED 1.4 Billion Profit in 2023

  In 2023, Etihad Airways achieved an operational profit of AED 1.4 billion, indicating significant growth compared to 2022. The CEO of Etihad Airways attributed these results to the strong comeback of the company after two challenging years caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He stated that Etihad Airways witnessed increased demand across all market segments in 2023 and strategically increased its capacity to respond to this demand.

Qatar Airways Wins Best Hospitality Service Award

 At the annual airline excellence awards ceremony, Qatar Airways has been selected as the winner of the "Best Hospitality Service of 2024" award.The selection criteria included the quality and variety of food, offering dishes suitable for passengers from various nationalities, services provided by flight attendants, and the quality of utensils and equipment used. Qatar Airways has received this award multiple times in previous years and was also recognized as the second-best airline globally for hospitality services in 2023.This award underscores Qatar Airways' commitment to providing high-quality services to its passengers.

Malaysia Airlines Returns to Profitability

 After 13 years, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) finally returned to profitability in 2024, driven by high demand for travel and increased airfare prices among other factors. The CEO of Malaysia Aviation Group attributes the airline's profitability to increased passenger traffic in high-yield segments and more international flights. In 2023, the airline transported approximately 14.5 million passengers, marking a 46% increase from the previous year. Additionally, by December, passenger numbers had reached 86% of pre-pandemic levels, with expectations to fully recover to pre-pandemic levels by the second quarter of 2024.

Introducing Work Visas for Young Indians in Britain

 In a notable initiative, the UK's High Commission in India is offering 3,000 work visas under the "Young Professionals from India" scheme, without the need for a job offer or financial sponsorship.  This exceptional opportunity is available for Indian applicants aged 18 to 30 to be selected through a lottery system for living and working in Britain for two years. Unlike many other work visas, this scheme does not require a job offer or sponsorship from a British employer. This visa allows individuals to live and work in Britain for two years, enabling them to enjoy the benefits of life in this advanced country.

New Record for Air Arabia in Profitability and Passenger Numbers

 Air Arabia Airlines, recognized as the leading budget airline in the Middle East and North Africa, achieved a new record in passenger numbers and profitability in 2023, transporting 58.4 million passengers. The company experienced a 12.7% increase in passenger traffic and approximately a 14.5% rise in operational revenue last year. The CEO of the company stated: "We are thrilled with this outstanding achievement, which demonstrates Air Arabia' commitment to providing quality and cost-effective services to passengers.""We are committed to further growth in the coming years through investment in our fleet and expanding our flight network," he added. Currently, Air Arabia Airlines operates flights to 170 destinations across the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and Asia.

4th Years Anniversary Of Hotel News Group

Hotel occupancy rate in West Azarbaijan up 41%

Over 94,000 domestic tourists have stayed in the province during the mentioned time, Jalil Jabari said on Thursday.  In nine months, over 16,000 foreign travelers stayed in the province’s accommodation centers and it is estimated that 5,500 foreign tourists will stay in these units in the fourth quarter of the year, the official added.  The accommodation centers have generated over 40 job opportunities during the mentioned time as well, he noted.  Back in December, Jamshid Hamzehzadeh the head of the Iranian Hoteliers Association announced that following the planned measures, the occupancy rate of the country’s hotels, which had fallen below five percent because of the outbreak of the coronavirus, has reached 45 percent over the past three months. Multiple problems, notably the pandemic, caused a severe impact on the tourism industry, the official explained. Even before the coronavirus outbreak and in 2019, travel was reduced due to heavy rains and flooding across the country, and the hotel industry had to recoup nearly 100 percent of the costs paid for canceled hotel reservations, he added. The Iranian hoteliers have lost 220 trillion rials (about $740 million) over the past two years, he noted. However, some problems have been resolved and the hotels’ condition has improved, he mentioned. Back in October, the official announced that Iranian hotels are ready to receive foreign tourists as the issuance of tourist visas and the flow of foreign tourists from land and air borders would be resumed. Ninety percent of the hotel staff have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, so the hotels are ready to welcome foreign tourists, observing strict health protocols, he said. The main destinations of foreign tourists in Iran are specifically cities such as Mashhad, Qom, Tabriz, Shiraz, Yazd, and Isfahan, and to return to the figure of over eight million incoming tourists before the outbreak of the coronavirus, serious planning is required, the official added. Iraqi tourists will flood the country once the borders open, but attracting tourists from Europe will require some time, he noted. However, he noted that two-thirds of the hotel staff have lost their jobs, he added.           Back in September, Hamzehzadeh announced that all employees of accommodation centers across Iran are scheduled to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. “To vaccinate staffs of all accommodation centers, including eco-lodges, apartment hotels, and guest houses, as well as hotels, more coordination with the Ministry of Health is needed,” he added.

Iran tourism loses $233m due to COVID restrictions

The Iranian tourism industry has suffered $233m losses due to COVID restrictions over the past two years.  “Iranian tourism facilities have incurred a loss of 69 trillion rials ($233 million) due to the outbreak of the coronavirus over the past two years,” an official with the tourism ministry has said.  It has been a major shock to the tourism industry when the coronavirus emerged in 2019, Rokna quoted Mohammad-Kazem Kholdi-Nasab as saying on Monday.  Citing an example, the official said, nearly all pre-scheduled trips were canceled during the new Iranian year holidays in March 2020 except for those that were necessary.  “Travel is not believed to be the cause of the outbreak, rather it is a lack of adherence to health protocols that have caused the outbreak, but people canceled their trips anyway, causing major damage to the tourist facilities across the country,” he explained.  With only two months until the upcoming new Iranian year holidays, the tourism ministry is preparing safe and smart travel packages for Iranian holidaymakers and travelers, he noted.  Nearly 70 percent of the population has been vaccinated, so these trips may be able to partially compensate for the damage done to tourism facilities over the past two years, he mentioned.  Last year the tourism ministry announced that the tourism of the country was growing before the corona outbreak, its revenues reached $11.7 billion in 2019, which accounted for 2.8% of GDP, nearing the average share of tourism in the world GDP, which was 3.2 percent. Iran was ranked as the second fastest-growing country in tourism based on data compiled by the World Tourism Organization. Experts expect Iran to achieve a tourism boom after coronavirus contained, believing its impact would be temporary and short-lived for a country that ranked the third fastest-growing tourism destination in 2019. The Islamic Republic expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 26 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, Iran aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025.