The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority’s (ADTA) new official hotel ratings could see some losing out on their star ratings.

With Gulf and Arab holidaymakers shying away from swine flu-bound Europe, Oman is hoping to lure greater numbers of tourists to its annual summer festival due to kick off shortly in the south of the country.

Expected to bring more than 150,000 visitors to the capital city amid quieter season.

The most popular traditional destinations among Saudi tourists include London and the US, and there has also been a surge in interest in nearby destinations that include Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey, Oman, Syria and the UAE.

Thailand refrained from giving a new target for tourist arrivals this year, citing the global recession and political uncertainty at home.

ANC Holdings is partnering with Amusement Whitewater (AWW) to capture a significant share of the leisure and entertainment market in the GCC, with $10 billion (Dh36.7 billion) of new projects coming over the next five years.

Officials of Oman and the UAE met in Muscat to discuss measures to facilitate cross-border travels, the Oman News Agency (ONA) reported on Tuesday.

Emirate's campaign in line with SCTDA plans to develop the sector.

The Abu Dhabi National Hotels (ADNH), a hotel, tourism, transport and catering group in the UAE, on Wednesday said it has awarded Al Jaber Engineering and Contracting LLC (ALEC) the contract to build a five-star hotel on Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island which would cost more than Dh1 billion.

At weekends, Bahraini families escape the concrete sprawl of Manama to picnic among the ruins of Qal'at Al Bahrain, an imposing fortress rising from palm groves on the north coast of the island.