With solo travel a notable trend in 2024, one resort in the Maldives is rolling out the red carpet for single travellers in July. Meanwhile, Hong Kong took its participation in the Arabian Travel Market to announce that it is planning to bounce back from pandemic lockdown with renewed efforts to attract Muslim holidaymakers.
And in the US, one of the country's most-visited theme parks has revealed the opening date of its hottest summer attraction.
Here's a round-up of recent travel and tourism news – in case you missed it.
July is solo travel month for this luxury Maldives resort
Solo travellers seeking an island escape take note, one Maldivian resort is making July all about individuals.
Nova Maldives is tapping into the growing trend of solo travel from the GCC region by organising a host of experiences at the Indian Ocean Resort. Moving away from the Maldives being seen as a classic destination for honeymooners and couples, Nova Maldives' July activities have been tailored to appeal to travellers exploring solo. Discounted rates are also on the cards for those travelling on their own, with up to 45 per cent off and rates starting from Dh1,795 ($488) per person per night.
Guests will be able to join like-minded others in beachside football and volleyball matches, while those interested in discovering the Indian Ocean can head off on sunset fishing expeditions or swim with whale sharks and sea-loving companions. Snorkelling and diving excursions are also available for solo travellers, who can join group expeditions set up to foster what the hotel is billing as its “Nova community”.
Guests looking for a transformative trip can tap into authentic Maldivian culture with immersive painting sessions that are led by local artists, or traditional cooking classes run by Maldivian chefs. Yoga, meditation and tailored spa treatments offer solo travellers a chance to embrace the solace of their journey.
“Our curated experiences for solo travellers are personalised considering their individual interests,” said Althaf Mohamed Ali, chief operating officer at Pulse Hotels & Resorts. “Nova has been designed for solo or group travel, and couples, seeking a unique and rejuvenating experience. Nestled on a 100 per cent natural island, it offers the perfect blend of privacy and comfort with the option for a range of once-in-a-lifetime group activities, which bring together travellers from all over the world.”
Located on the South Ari Atoll, Nova Maldives aims to foster connections between guests over food and drinks via communal dining tables in Soul Kitchen and sunset sessions at Wink and Solis where travellers can gather and mingle with other like-minded guests, or simply enjoy watching the Sun set over the island.
Hong Kong Tourism on a mission to offer halal-friendly holidays
Hong Kong is on a mission to make the destination more welcoming for Muslim travellers. That's according to Dane Cheng, executive director of Hong Kong Tourism Board, who spoke to The National on the sidelines of the 2024 Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.
As one of the destinations that was closed to tourists for the longest during the Covid-19 pandemic, Hong Kong has been open to visitors without any quarantine requirements only since March last year. And as tourist numbers return to Hong Kong, there's a focus on evolving its attractions to more visitors, including travellers from the GCC and to the luxury market.
“We've seen our GCC visitor numbers returning at about 45 per cent, which is not great, but we see potential,” said Cheng.
“In the past, the number of tourists from this part of the world hasn't been large. From the whole of the GCC, we were recording around 50,000 visitors a year. But now we can see that visitors who have typically favoured Europe and going West, are showing interest in going eastbound. They're going to Asia to explore places like Bangkok, Thailand and Singapore, but believe Hong Kong offers a great location for them to come, not least because of the flight connectivity.”
Emirates and the Hong Kong Tourism Board signed an agreement during the Arabian Travel Market to work together to boost inbound tourism into Hong Kong from key target markets in the Middle East and Europe. The Dubai airline offers 21 weekly flights connecting the destinations. Cathay Pacific also offers seven weekly flights, while Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways also fly from the GCC to Hong Kong. The destination is visa-free for GCC travellers and offers other perks.
“We're a very small city with a good public transport network, English is widely spoken and it's very safe,” said Cheng. “We have a lot to offer in terms of East meets West, but we need to up the game in terms of being Muslim-friendly. We need more halal restaurants and other facilities, but we're now on top of this.”
Having drafted in consultants to educate hoteliers, restaurant owners and others in the tourism industry about providing halal facilities for travellers, Hong Kong is hoping that the pay-off will come via boosted visitor numbers.
“We would like to attract more of the entire Muslim travel market, not just those from the GCC, but the global market as the travellers are young, they're modern. We hope they will come to Hong Kong, and then perhaps venture further into mainland China and the Greater Bay Area.”
The destination is also presenting a new horizon of luxury experiences as part of its GCC travel initiatives via its Travel in Luxe campaign. This promotes cultural encounters through curator-led museum tours, stylish experiences including helicopter tours and luxury shopping trips and family travel via VIP experiences at attractions such as Hong Kong and Ocean Park. And tourists who do decide to make the trip can explore some fascinating attractions.
“Hong Kong is exciting and it also has a few things that were enhanced in a big way during the country's lockdown,” said Cheng.
“Number one is the art and culture scene, including a new area called the West Kowloon Cultural District, which has two excellent museums, the Mplus Museum which has the largest collection of modern art from China; and the first Palace Museum outside of China that displays many never-seen-before items. We also have new high-speed trains from China – the fastest in the world – as well as a bustling calendar of events including the Rugby Sevens, which many people say is the most entertaining edition of the event.
“What makes Hong Kong special is also the neighbourhoods here, they're not artificial, they are real neighbourhoods that we promote. And people can visit and see old buildings and stores that have been around for centuries, first under British Colonial influence and also under Chinese influence. And then we also have modern new buildings, and that remix of Hong Kong is what makes it interesting.”
Walt Disney World Resort's Tiana's Bayou Adventure to open in June
Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will open its latest ride next month.
Tiana's Bayou Adventure is replacing the long-running Splash Mountain attraction at Magic Kingdom park that was closed in 2023.
The new Princess and the Frog-themed ride promises to be a colourful, Mardi-Gras inspired attraction with visitors welcome to ride on it from June 28.
Splash Mountain had a long run at the world-renowned theme park since it opened in 1989. Popular for its five-storey plunge, the ride garnered negative attention thanks to the controversial Song of the South film it was inspired by. The 1946 film has been called out for its white-centred depiction of slavery and racial stereotypes.
The ride's popular log-flume drop will remain in Disney's new attraction, but everything else is being overhauled. Picking up after the events of the Walt Disney Animation Studios film The Princess and the Frog ends, the ride takes visitors on a journey with New Orleans's resident Princess Tiana through the bayou as she prepares to host a Mardi Gras party. New audio-animatronics will feature many of the 2009 film's original voice actors reprising their roles including Anika Noni Rose as Princess Tiana, Bruno Campos as Prince Naveen, Jenifer Lewis as Mama Odie and Michael-Leon Wooley as Louis.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will feature original music and familiar tunes from the film, as well as newly created animal characters that will put on a showcase featuring music authentic to the region of New Orleans. This will be complemented by new music created exclusively for the ride from PJ Morton of Maroon 5, and Jazz-legend Terence Blanchard.
Visitors lining up for the ride will enjoy the scent of frying beignets – a staple in New Orleans' French Quarter – and will be able to make use of their waiting time by checking out artwork from New Orleans' artists Malaika Favorite and Sharika Mahdi.
Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
The biog
Favourite Quote: “Real victories are those that protect human life, not those that result from its destruction emerge from its ashes,” by The late king Hussain of Jordan.
Favourite Hobby: Writing and cooking
Favourite Book: The Prophet by Gibran Khalil Gibran
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday Spezia v Lazio (6pm), Juventus v Torino (9pm), Inter Milan v Bologna (7.45pm)
Sunday Verona v Cagliari (3.30pm), Parma v Benevento, AS Roma v Sassuolo, Udinese v Atalanta (all 6pm), Crotone v Napoli (9pm), Sampdoria v AC Milan (11.45pm)
Monday Fiorentina v Genoa (11.45pm)
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HyveGeo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abdulaziz%20bin%20Redha%2C%20Dr%20Samsurin%20Welch%2C%20Eva%20Morales%20and%20Dr%20Harjit%20Singh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECambridge%20and%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESustainability%20%26amp%3B%20Environment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%20plus%20undisclosed%20grant%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVenture%20capital%20and%20government%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Valladolid v Osasuna (Kick-off midnight UAE)
Saturday Valencia v Athletic Bilbao (5pm), Getafe v Sevilla (7.15pm), Huesca v Alaves (9.30pm), Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (midnight)
Sunday Real Sociedad v Eibar (5pm), Real Betis v Villarreal (7.15pm), Elche v Granada (9.30pm), Barcelona v Levante (midnight)
Monday Celta Vigo v Cadiz (midnight)
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
Pakistan World Cup squad
Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez(subject to fitness), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain
Two additions for England ODIs: Mohammad Amir and Asif Ali
