General Travel News
Middle East Tourism Growth May Reach 6%
The World Tourism Organization yesterday said tourism will increase in the Middle East between 2% and 6% because residents are choosing to travel within the region to save money and because of concerns over the H1N1 flu. In 2008, the Middle East had the highest tourism growth rate in the world at 11% compared to a 2% growth rate for the rest of the world.
According to the WTO report, the number of tourists visiting Jordan will probably not decline with at least half of the total 4.8 million Arab tourists planning to holiday there.
About 2 million tourists, mostly Arab, are expected to visit Lebanon. The International Travel and Tourism Council said that tourism in 2009 could provide up to 10.5 million jobs in the Middle East and North Africa. This would account for 10% of the total workforce.
More General Travel News
Latest Travel News
Featured Sights To See
The Custom House
Dublin, Ireland
The Custom House was built between 1781 and 1791 by James Gandon. As its name would imply, it served as the Customs House for the port of Dublin. The Neoclassical facade and its signature dome became a symbol of Dublin, even after the port moved downstream. It became the center of the city's local government (and a symbol of the English occupation) until 1922, when the interior w...
Ka'aba, Hajr-e-Aswad, Hatim and the Maqaam-e-Ibrahim
Makkah, Saudi Arabia
Thought to be initially built by the angels, then by Adam (AS). Destroyed in the flood of Noah, it was rebuilt by Abraham (AS) on the orders of Allah. It became a symbol of power in the times before the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It was believed who so ever had control of the Ka'aba would have the right to rule over the other tribes in Makkah. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) solved this by having the vari...
Sears (Willis) Tower
Chicago, United States
Until the completion of the new World Trade Center in New York City, the Sears Tower is the tallest building in the United States, standing 442m (527m to the spire). It was built between 1969 and 1973 as headquarters for the Sears corporation, formerly the largest retailer in the world. Designed by architect Bruce Graham, the Sears Tower was the tallest building in the world from 1973 u...
Notre Dame de Loudres
Casablanca, Morocco
Notre Dame de Loudres church is a monumental concrete sculpture, dating from the fifties. It is lit by vast stained glass windows and covers an area of 800 sq. m. ...