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.

The number of air tickets being sold in the UAE is soaring as fares fall through the summer.

The Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), operator of the Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai Festival City, has been awarded the management contract for the nearby Four Seasons Golf Club by Al Futtaim Group, starting July 1, the hotel group announced on Thursday. The leisure venue will be rebranded as Al Badia Golf Club.

US Visa card holders contributed nearly Dh2.7 billion to the UAE's economy last year while UAE travellers spent Dh961 million through Visa card payment while visiting the US in 2008, according to the latest report by Visa Inc.

Despite a challenging economic environment, international tourism remains resilient according to the new Tourism Outlook: USA report from Visa Inc. The report indicated that US visitors to UAE were strong contributors to the national tourism economy, contributing $733 million to tourism revenues in 2008, up 85 per cent from 2007.

The Al Futtaim Group Real Estate (Afgre) has cancelled plans to go ahead with the UAE's first Four Seasons Hotel and Resort in Dubai Festival City.

Occupancy rates and room revenues decline, but Dubai expected to see rebound this year

A marketing catfight has broken out in the UK's hotel industry as operators fight to persuade leisure customers into their rooms.