One of the world's most popular island holiday spots could be forced to slow things down as Indonesian authorities consider banning new hotels in Bali.
Meanwhile, Air Astana is ramping up operations to the UAE with new flights connecting Kazakhstan with Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Ajman is also carving a big name for itself on the tourism front, while Etihad Airways is falling deeper for the City of Love, introducing more flights to Paris next year.
Here's a round-up of recent travel and tourism news – in case you missed it.
Indonesia proposes banning hotels in Bali to prevent overtourism
Indonesia is considering banning the construction of new hotels, villas and nightclubs in the holiday hotspot of Bali. Four areas on the tropical island, which welcomes millions of foreigners every year, are included in the proposed temporary rule, which would halt development for a defined period.
No date for the rule has been announced yet by the government, but Bali's interim governor, Sang Made Mahendra Jaya, recently told reporters the proposal is designed to battle overtourism and overdevelopment.
Bali reopened for tourism in 2022 after being closed to holidaymakers for two years during the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, it has surged in popularity with millions of holidaymakers arriving on the island in search of beaches, terraced rice fields and striking temples.
It is also an increasingly popular destination for digital nomads thanks to relatively low living costs and easy visa processes. The destination now has more than 541 hotels, up from 507 in 2019 with more openings on the horizon including the soon-to-launch Anantara Ubud Bali Resort and luxury river resort Sudamala Ubud.
The westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands, Bali accounts for a large share of Indonesia’s foreign visitors – with some 2.9 million arriving in the first half of this year, according to the country's statistics bureau. While these tourists bring revenue, the island is in danger of becoming overpopulated, tourism minister Sandiaga Uno said last month.
Earlier this year, a tourism levy was introduced to help fund the protection of future natural landscapes. Rolled out in February, it is priced at a mandatory 150,000 Indonesian rupiahs ($9.56) and applies to all foreign visitors heading to the island.
Air Astana's winter flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi
The national airline of Kazakhstan is boosting flights to the UAE with new routes launching to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Air Astana will fly twice weekly from Atyrau in the west of the country to Dubai, from October 26. From October 30, the airline will begin twice-weekly services from Astana, Kazakhstan's capital, to Abu Dhabi, and from December 12, it will add another route connecting Almaty with the capital of the UAE.
The Atyrau to Dubai service will operate twice a week, on Mondays and Saturdays, with a flight duration of four hours and economy fares starting from $396.
From Astana to Abu Dhabi, flights will operate on Wednesdays and Saturdays and from Almaty to the UAE capital, flights are set to operate on Thursdays and Sundays. Both routes have a flying time of about five hours, and economy fares start from $375.
The new routes strengthen the airline's existing connections to the Middle East, which include 20 weekly flights between Almaty and Astana to Dubai, plus six services from Almaty and Shymkent to destinations in Saudi Arabia.
Ajman tourism on the rise in 2024
Ajman may no longer be the UAE’s best-kept secret, having recorded an increase of 3 per cent in hotel occupancy rates compared to last year. Famed for its rich heritage, beaches and rugged Hajar Mountains, the emirate is drawing travellers from Armenia, Georgia and Russia.
There has been a 12 per cent increase in visitor numbers from the Commonwealth of Independent States region, which includes the likes of Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. There has also been a 12 per cent increase in nightly accommodation bookings from travellers from CIS nations.
Earlier this year, the emirate announced that international tourism numbers to Ajman were up 20 per cent in 2023, compared to the year before. In an effort to boost this further, tourism authorities are running a promotional tour in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan until September 21. The roadshow aims to highlight the emirate’s attractions to entice more visitors from the CIS region.
In May, Mahmood Khaleel Alhashmi, director general of the Ajman Tourism Development Department, told The National that the emirate offers something unique for travellers. “The history and the culture in Ajman are different than in the other emirates. It’s something you can only find here,” Alhashmi said at the Arabian Travel Market.
Etihad falls for Paris with double-daily flights and superjumbo services
Etihad Airways is boosting its connection with Paris by adding double daily flights from January. The national airline of the UAE will begin flying its superjumbo Airbus A380 to the French capital on November 1.
In January, a second service will be operated via the airline's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to accommodate the “strong demand for travel between Abu Dhabi and Paris”, said Arik De, chief revenue and commercial officer of Etihad Airways.
Services are timed for morning and evening departures and arrivals to give travellers the flexibility to choose the flight schedule that best suits them. All flights will feature Etihad’s three-class service, including first, business and economy cabins.
Travellers flying on the A380, the world's largest passenger jet, will have the option to travel in the Residence, the world's only three-room suite in the sky. The double-decker aircraft also offers first-class apartments and business studios.
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
RESULTS
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
OPTA'S PREDICTED TABLE
1. Liverpool 101 points
2. Manchester City 80
3. Leicester 67
4. Chelsea 63
5. Manchester United 61
6. Tottenham 58
7. Wolves 56
8. Arsenal 56
9. Sheffield United 55
10. Everton 50
11. Burnley 49
12. Crystal Palace 49
13. Newcastle 46
14. Southampton 44
15. West Ham 39
16. Brighton 37
17. Watford 36
18. Bournemouth 36
19. Aston Villa 32
20. Norwich City 29
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: 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
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
