Browsing: Travel

Air Arabia expands UAE-Poland links with five weekly Sharjah-Gdansk flights. On Mondays and Saturdays, flight G9 0628 departs from Sharjah at 4 p.m. and arrives in Gdansk at 8 p.m. The return journey, G9 0629, will leave Gdansk at 8:50 p.m., arriving back in Sharjah at 6:10 a.m. the following morning. Flights on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays are scheduled to depart from Sharjah at 8:15 a.m. Return flights from Gdansk will leave at 1:05 p.m. and land in Sharjah at 10:25 p.m. All timings mentioned are local.

Etihad Airways will launch seasonal nonstop flights between Abu Dhabi and Gothenburg on December 17, 2026. The service will operate four times a week through March 21, 2027. The route will connect the UAE capital with Sweden’s second largest city during the winter travel period.

South Korea achieved a $596.6 million tourism surplus in June 2026, marking its highest monthly figure since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This figure reflects a $1.44 billion increase compared to June 2025, which recorded an $846.8 million deficit. Data from the Korea Tourism Organization indicate that June’s surplus was the second-largest on record, with only October 2008 surpassing it at $661.5 million.

Spain has initiated provisional border inspections for individuals arriving from Italy by air and sea. These measures came into effect at midnight on Aug. 8 and are set to remain in force until Sept. 7. The step was taken by Spain following Italy’s decision to enforce its own temporary controls on arrivals originating from Spain. The new procedures add document verification to routes that typically operate under the European Union’s Schengen system of internal travel.

Dubai-based airline flydubai announced a significant boost to its flight operations across Europe on Wednesday, aiming to meet the rising international travel demand by adding more flights to key Italian destinations. As reported by Emirates News Agency, flydubai is expanding its Italian route network with increased frequencies to Milan-Bergamo and Naples, strengthening direct connections between the United Arab Emirates and Southern Europe. From July 31, 2026, the airline will operate twice daily between Dubai International Airport and Milan-Bergamo Airport and will also raise its service to Naples International Airport to a daily schedule.

Emirates, the flagship airline, announced on Tuesday the launch of a new cryptocurrency checkout feature, allowing eligible travelers to pay for flights using digital assets through its website and mobile application. Confirmed by Emirates News Agency, the collaboration between Emirates and Crypto.com introduces a novel payment option, stemming from a strategic memorandum of understanding initially signed in July 2025. This digital asset payment gateway is accessible to residents of the United Arab Emirates for both international and domestic flights, with transactions priced and settled in Emirati Dirhams (AED). Payments are processed via the checkout platform managed by Crypto.com, providing travelers with direct visibility of their digital wallet balances at the time of booking.

The Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi revealed on Tuesday that the iconic Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum will officially welcome visitors on December 11, 2026, on Saadiyat Island. Official reports from Emirates News Agency verified that the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is set to open on 11th December 2026, marking a significant milestone in the UAE’s rise as a leading global center for contemporary art and cross-cultural dialogue. Designed by the late Pritzker Prize-winning architect Frank Gehry, this 80,000-square-metre venue is located within the Saadiyat Cultural District and is the largest museum within the international network managed by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.

Nearly 2 million international tourists visited the Republic of Korea in June, pushing the total number of foreign arrivals in the initial six months of the year beyond a significant milestone. The official figures issued by the government, as confirmed by Emirates News Agency, show that Korea’s inbound tourist numbers surpassed 10 million in H1, buoyed by sustained double-digit growth across major regional markets. Data from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism indicate that June alone brought 1.99 million foreign visitors, a 23.1 percent rise compared to the same month last year. This strong monthly growth pushed the overall first-half total to 10.71 million arrivals, representing a 21.3 percent increase from the 8.8 million recorded in the same period of 2025 and surpassing pre-pandemic 2019 levels by 26.9 percent.

New government data shows South Korea’s travel account posts surplus for 3rd consecutive month in May amid rising tourist arrivals. The post May foreign tourist arrivals drive South Korea travel surplus appeared first on Arabian Observer: Observe more. Understand Arabia..

Official Australians travel advice Middle East conflict notices warn of sudden airspace closures, cancellations, and disruptions. The post Australians travel advice Middle East conflict elevated now appeared first on Arabian Observer: Observe more. Understand Arabia..