Browsing: Travel

Air Arabia is set to launch direct flights between Sharjah and Gdansk beginning on Dec. 14, 2026, establishing a new route linking the UAE with northern Poland. The airline plans to operate five weekly flights between Sharjah International Airport and Gdansk Lech Walesa Airport. The flights will be scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Etihad Airways will launch a seasonal nonstop route linking Abu Dhabi and Gothenburg beginning December 17, 2026. The service is scheduled to operate four times weekly until March 21, 2027. During the winter travel period, flights will connect Zayed International Airport with Göteborg Landvetter Airport. This new route provides a direct link between the UAE capital and Sweden’s second-largest city. Tickets are currently available through the airline’s booking channels.

South Korea’s tourism balance reached $596.6 million in surplus during June 2026. This June number signifies South Korea’s continued recovery, extending its streak of positive tourism balances for a fourth consecutive month. The country had faced deficits for 72 straight months from March 2020 through February 2026. The deficit peaked in January at $1.4034 billion, followed by a $1.0993 billion shortfall in February. The balance shifted into surplus in March with $263.8 million, then stayed positive at $159.9 million in April and $220.5 million in May. Tourism revenue reached $2.784 billion in June, while outbound spending by South Korean travelers totaled $2.1874 billion. The average expenditure per foreign visitor was $1,397, whereas South Korean outbound tourists spent an average of $1,091 each. The difference between inbound tourism income and outbound expenditure resulted in the $596.6 million surplus, which is the largest positive monthly balance in over 17 years. Significant Increase in Foreign Tourists from Key Markets In June, South Korea welcomed 1,993,128 international visitors, showing a growth of 23.1% compared to the same month in 2025. China remained the leading source market with 649,582 visitors, a 36.2% rise from the previous year. Japan followed with 348,216 visitors, up 21.3%, and Taiwan accounted for 223,127 arrivals

Temporary border controls have been put in place by Spain for travelers arriving from Italy via air and sea routes. These measures started at midnight on Aug. 8 and are set to last until Sept. 7. Authorities are now conducting checks on travel and immigration documents along routes that typically operate without routine internal border controls. This step follows Italy’s earlier decision to reintroduce checks on certain passengers arriving from Spain.

The expanded routes to Milan-Bergamo and Naples are operated under the established codeshare partnership between flydubai and Emirates, the international flag carrier. This collaboration allows travelers to access integrated itineraries, purchase unified single tickets, enjoy synchronized schedules, and benefit from through-checked baggage handling across both airlines. Connecting through Dubai’s central hub, passengers flying from Italian airports gain seamless access to popular long-haul destinations across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, including direct flights to Kenya, Oman, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Zanzibar. This capacity expansion aligns with broader trends in commercial aviation within the Middle East and Europe, where international passenger numbers have steadily increased in the post-pandemic period. The rise in flight frequency supports the growing bilateral trade, investment, and tourism exchanges between the United Arab Emirates and Italy. The added double-daily flights to Milan-Bergamo increase seat capacity for business travelers heading to Italy’s primary financial and industrial hub. Meanwhile, daily flights to Southern Italy

Emirates, the flag carrier, officially integrated a digital asset checkout feature on Tuesday, enabling eligible passengers to pay for tickets with cryptocurrencies via the airline’s website and mobile app. Confirmed through Emirates News Agency, this development results from a strategic memorandum of understanding signed between Emirates and Crypto.com in July 2025, and offers a new payment method for customers. The digital payment platform is accessible to residents of the United Arab Emirates for both international and domestic flights, with prices and settlements made in Emirati Dirhams. Transactions involving digital assets are processed through Crypto.com’s checkout portal, providing travelers immediate access to their digital wallets during the ticket purchasing process.

Crafted by the late architect Frank Gehry, the facility covers 80,000 square metres of constructed space within the Saadiyat Cultural District, making it the largest physical venue within the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation’s global network. The museum’s architecture features 30 indoor galleries offering 11,600 square metres of exhibition space, complemented by 23,000 square metres of outdoor display zones. A central atrium links these areas, with ten sculptural cones defining the skyline—nine clad in stainless steel mesh and one finished with onyx and glass.

Cultural heritage landmarks experience increased tourist visitor traffic across South Korea. Throughout the first half of the year, East Asian neighboring countries continued to be the main drivers of growth in Korea’s tourism industry. Data indicates that mainland China remained the largest source of international tourists, with 650,000 arrivals in June and the fastest year-on-year growth rate among major source countries. Between January and June, Chinese visitors reached a total of 3.21 million. Japan ranked as the second-largest inbound market, with 350,000 visitors in June, leading to a six-month total of 1.95 million travelers. Taiwan held its position as the third-largest origin market, with 220,000 arrivals in June and a total of 1.15 million inbound visitors over the first half of the year. Expanding beyond traditional East Asian sources has added further momentum to Korea’s international tourism recovery. Official entry figures revealed that long-haul arrivals from North America hit 220,000 visitors in June, with the United States accounting for 177,744 of these, raising the total American inbound count to 810,000 for the first six months. European countries collectively contributed 120,000 visitors during June, while the six key Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, brought in a combined 230,000 travelers. Analysts from the government highlighted that visitor flows from Taiwan and the United States experienced particularly notable growth, increasing by over 160 percent compared to baseline figures from the first half of 201

South Korea’s travel account posts surplus for 3rd consecutive month in May as foreign visitor numbers increase nationwide The post South Korea travel account posts surplus for 3rd month in May appeared first on Gulf Daily Report: The Gulf’s daily news, fully reported..

Australians travel advice Middle East conflict alerts rise as federal authorities urge citizens to leave high-risk Gulf zones. The post Australians travel advice Middle East conflict raised by DFAT appeared first on Gulf Daily Report: The Gulf’s daily news, fully reported..