Latest news with #TourismandSports
Hans India
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Jayesh Ranjan condoles passing away of renowned footballer DMK Afzal
Hyderabad: Tourism and Sports Special Chief Secretary Jayesh Ranjan on Thursday expressed condolences to the family of DMK Afzal, a renowned footballer and gold medallist of 1962 Asian Games who passed away on Wednesday. Jayesh Ranjan expressed grief and expressed his condolences to the family members, friends, and fellow players during this difficult time. 'Janab Afzal was a renowned footballer and gold medalist of the 1962 Asian Games. Afzal's contribution to football, both on and off the field, will always be remembered with great respect and admiration, and cherished by the footballing community,' he said.
The Print
04-05-2025
- Business
- The Print
Bin Touq meets with tourism ministers of Spain, Croatia to enhance prospects for cooperation in sector
Bin Touq expressed the UAE's desire to enhance cooperation with European markets and foster fruitful partnerships in various tourism sub-sectors and activities, thereby supporting overall economic development and creating new opportunities for shared prosperity. Abu Dhabi [UAE], May 4 (ANI/WAM): During a European tour that included Spain and Croatia, Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy, met with Tonci Glavina, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Croatia; and Rosario Sanchez Grau, Spanish Secretary of State for Tourism, with the aim of enhancing cooperation in the sector. As part of the discussions, the ministers exchanged the latest experiences and practices in the field of sustainable tourism development. He pointed out that the tourism sector in the UAE has undergone significant development, characterised by the adoption of forward-looking national initiatives; the establishment of distinguished tourism infrastructure in line with global best practices; the development of leading destinations and tourism products, and an increase in tourist inflows. Bin Touq said, 'The UAE continues to support initiatives and projects aimed at sustaining global tourism growth, fostering collaboration with the UN Tourism and its member states, and expanding cooperation in various tourism sub-sectors.' During discussions with the tourism ministers of Spain and Croatia, Bin Touq highlighted the importance of the UAE Tourism Strategy 2031 and its key role in supporting the sustainability and competitiveness of the country's tourism sector over the next decade. The strategy has established a set of national objectives, which include elevating the UAE's status to become a leading global destination, increasing the sector's contribution to the national GDP to AED 450 billion, attracting tourism investments worth AED 100 billion to the country's markets, and welcoming 40 million guests by the year 2031. The Minister of Economy reviewed key performance indicators of the UAE tourism sector, which include a total of AED 45 billion in hotel revenues in 2024 with a three per cent year-over-year growth. The hotel occupancy rate in the country reached 78%, which is among the highest regionally and globally. Additionally, 16 new hotels were launched across the UAE in 2024, taking the total number of hotels to 1,251 by the end of last year. During his meeting with Rosario Sanchez Grau, Spanish Secretary of State for Tourism, Bin Touq reviewed latest developments in the global tourism sector, the mechanisms to enable sustainable growth, as well as enhancing cooperation in various tourism fields. The two sides explored the potential for establishing new partnerships to increase mutual tourism flows. The number of Spanish tourists to the UAE reached 150,231 in 2024, representing an increase of more than 14% compared to that of 2023. The number of flights between the UAE and Spain amount to approximately 48 weekly services, operated by airlines of both countries. Bin Touq and Tonci Glavina discussed enhancing cooperation between tourism companies and entities in the UAE and Croatian markets, in addition to enhancing joint efforts to create new tourism and leisure programs to promote mutual tourism flows. There are currently more than 42 monthly flights between the UAE and Croatia, operated by the airlines of both countries. (ANI/WAM) This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Japan Times
31-03-2025
- Business
- Japan Times
Massive quake is latest blow to Thai tourism hit by safety woes
The deadly Myanmar earthquake is set to hurt foreign tourist arrivals to Thailand in the coming weeks, the latest blow to an industry already reeling from dwindling Chinese visitors worried about travel safety. International tourist arrivals are expected to drop by 10%-15% or even more in the next two weeks as Friday's 7.7 earthquake shook buildings in Bangkok and other Thai tourist hot spots, spooking prospective travelers, the Thai Hotels Association said. About 10% of foreign tourists checked out early after the quake, said Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun, president of the association, citing an initial survey among the group's members. Some tourists, however, later returned to their hotels as they had no other options, he said. "A short-term impact is expected for the tourism industry because of safety concerns,' Thienprasit said by phone on Saturday. Even a short-lived impact on tourist arrivals will hurt an economy where the industry employs one in five of the country's workforce and accounts for about 13% of gross domestic product. Thai authorities are betting on an improved tourism performance to propel growth to 3% this year as merchandise exports, another key driver of growth, faces headwinds from the Trump administration's trade tariffs. Thai authorities have in the meantime reassured foreign tourists. The country is safe for tourists, Minister of Tourism and Sports Sorawong Thienthong said Saturday, adding that the government has ordered a safety audit of hotels and major tourist attractions. While the earthquake rattled buildings across Bangkok, leading to mass evacuations and suspension of public transport for a day, the city emerged largely unscathed in contrast to the massive destruction in Myanmar. The collapse of a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok was the biggest hit from the temblor, killing 10 workers and trapping dozens under its debris. To be sure, tourist arrivals were already on the decline due to safety concerns in recent months. A series of high-profile cases of human trafficking to scam centers in Myanmar via Thailand prompted some travelers from China, Thailand's largest source for tourists, to shun the Southeast Asian nation. Hotel bookings during the country's Songkran festival next month haven't been as good compared with two years ago, and post-tremor safety concerns could further hurt confidence among foreign visitors, Thienprasit from the hotel group said. Foreign tourist arrivals have been falling on a weekly basis since the end of the Lunar New Year rush in early February. Bank of America economists expect downside risk to its forecast of 38.1 million tourist arrivals this year with the country moving into the low season when European tourists subside and Chinese tourist arrivals still showing no sign of recovery. Thailand — popular among tourists for its pristine beaches, vibrant nightlife and Buddhist temples — has welcomed 8.9 million tourists since the start of the year, up 2.9% from year earlier, according to latest official data. Foreign visitors traveling in groups aren't as concerned about safety as seen from the normal flight schedules at key Thai airports, said Adith Chairattananon, secretary-general of the Association of Thai Travel Agents. "But tourists, who haven't made bookings to Thailand, may decide to halt travel plans,' Adith says. "The impact could surface in the next two weeks.'
