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Alexandria debuts on Emirates’ Arabian Airpass
Emirates’ Arabian Airpass now includes Alexandria, the
ancient city and bustling modern metropolis, which joined the airline’s
route network on May 15.
The Arabian Airpass allows international travelers, those
arriving or transiting through Dubai from countries outside the Gulf and
Middle East, to extend their journey to 13 destinations within the region,
at very nominal costs. Additionally, passengers traveling to Alexandria are
entitled to use the bus service between the airport and Cairo.
Soonthorn Suree, manager Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar
& Laos, Emirates Airline said, “Emirates’ Arabian Airpass is the
best way to explore the region, offering supreme convenience, affordability
and the airline’s unrivalled in-flight experience. Given the diversity of
destinations within the Middle East, from beaches to mountains, sand to
snow, and the rich tapestry of culture and heritage, the Arabian Airpass has
been carefully designed to offer customers a bouquet of holiday options.
“Successful since its inception in 1997, in the last
financial year alone Emirates has sold more than 10,000 coupons.”
The Arabian Airpass comes with a host of features and
benefits for the overseas traveler. It is available for travel in all three
classes with airfares starting from a nominal US$40 (Bt.1,600) for an adult
to travel in Economy Class to countries within Zone A.
The coupons are valid for three months from the first
date of travel and do not stipulate a minimum duration of stay. Reservations
may be changed without additional charges within the zone, while visit visas
can be arranged at a cost. Passengers can choose to travel in a mix of all
three classes - First, Business or Economy.
Emirates operates daily non-stop flights to
Alexandria’s Borg Al Arab Airport (HBE). EK931 departs Dubai at 09:10hrs
to reach Alexandria at 12:30hrs; the return flight EK932 leaves the city at
14:00hrs to reach Dubai at 19:00hrs. The airline is serving the route with
its Airbus A310 aircraft in a two-class configuration - 21 in Business and
177 in Economy.
Founded by Alexander the Great and today a tourist
magnet, Alexandria is the second largest city in Egypt. It marks Emirates’
11th destination on the African continent after Cairo, Casablanca, Dar es
Salaam, Entebbe, Johannesburg, Khartoum, Nairobi, Tripoli, Lagos and Accra.
Route Network Expansion Continues
Singapore’s Low Fare Airline adds Krabi
to its fast growing network
Tiger Airways, Singapore’s low fare airline, announced that it will fly
four times a week to Thailand’s paradise resort of Krabi, effective end of
October this year.
Sales started 10 a.m. on Friday, July 29 with fares from
just S$25.98 (Bt.624) (one way) for travel from October 30 onwards, with
seats for the peak season expected to sell fast.
Tiger Airways will be the only airline operating to Krabi
from Singapore. This will be the airline’s fifth destination in Thailand
and represents the eighth new destination launched by Tiger Airways during
2005, bringing the Tiger Airways network to 11 routes.
Tiger Airways currently flies the highest number of low
fare flights from Singapore to Thailand with 43 flights per week,
establishing it as Singapore’s low fare airline with the most
comprehensive network of destinations in Thailand. Other Tiger Airways
destinations in Thailand include Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Hat Yai.
“We are delighted to add Krabi to our fast growing
network of exciting destinations across the Asia-Pacific region. Krabi has a
fantastic heritage of being one of the region’s most popular tourism
centers. We are working closely with the local tourism and hospitality
industries in Thailand to ensure that the start of the popular low fares
service of Tiger Airways will have a huge impact on the number of visitors
to Krabi” said Tiger Airways CEO Tony Davis.
Eumporn Jiragalwisul, Tourism Authority of Thailand
Director (Singapore, Indonesia and Philippines), said: “The opening of
this new route by Tiger Airways to Krabi from Singapore will give a boost to
the tourist industry in Krabi. It will also raise the profile of the many
tourist attractions in Krabi and make them better known to a more
international audience.”
Krabi is a southern province on Thailand’s Andaman
seaboard and is well known for its beach facilities as well as its
archeological artifacts. Evidence of Thailand’s oldest history of
continued human settlements have been found in Krabi.
It is believed that Krabi was once the town of Ban Thai
Samo, one of 12 royal cities that used a monkey as the town symbol. Krabi
was a dependency town of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom.
Another legend indicates the town may have taken its name
after the meaning of Krabi, which means ‘the sword.’ This may have
stemmed from a legend that says an ancient sword was unearthed prior to the
city’s founding. Later, the sword became a symbol of Krabi.
The province consists of mountains, hills, plains, and
mangrove forests, including more than 130 large and small islands. Krabi
town has a river which flows through the town and ends at the Andaman Sea in
Tambon Pak Nam.
Davis said, “Tiger Airways has shown that we can and
will increase the number of destinations that we can serve. Our strategy of
developing new routes to countries and destinations across the region and
flying to under-utilized & less-congested airports has allowed us to
grow our network quickly and successfully. This has stimulated travel for
both business and tourism between the countries we serve, which is bringing
about tremendous socio-economic benefits to the region.”
Tiger Airways, Singapore’s largest and most popular low
fare airline, currently flies to 10 cities in six countries (Singapore,
Thailand, Vietnam, Macau SAR, the Philippines and Indonesia). It recently
announced plans to commence services to Cambodia as well as additional
flights to Vietnam.
Cabinet approves 900 million baht for added tourism promotion
The Cabinet last week approved an additional 900 million
baht budget for the Tourism Authority of Thailand to revive the flagging
tourism sector for the rest of this year.
TAT sought 2.5 billion baht for combined marketing
campaigns and facilities improvements at major tourist destinations.
However, the Cabinet approved part of the request - 900 million baht - for
Thailand tourism promotion in key potential markets such as China, Japan,
Australia and New Zealand.
As for the 1.6 billion baht balance of the original
request, the Cabinet instructed the tourism authority to consult with the
National Economic and Social Development Board, TAT Governor Juthamas
Siriwan said.
Jutamas meanwhile expressed confidence that Thailand will
achieve its goal of 12 million visitors for the entire 2005 calendar year as
planned.
The 900 million baht promotion boost approved by the
Cabinet will also subsidize charter flights to bring tourists directly to
Phuket, where tourism is still suffering from the impact of last
December’s Indian Ocean tsunami.
Thailand received 5.2 million visitors in the first half
of this year, an increase of 1.1 % as compared to arrival statistics last
year. Nonetheless, tourist arrivals in the Andaman Sea region remains
reduced by 24-30% of pre-tsunami arrivals in the comparable period last
year.
Jutamas said TAT plans to host a remembrance event of the
tsunami and invite relatives of victims and other affected persons to
attend. (TNA)
Giving peace another chance
The 3rd Global Summit on Peace through Tourism will be
held at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort and Conference Center in Pattaya from
October 2nd to the 5th.
Organizer, Reed Travel Exhibitions, hopes to facilitate
strategic government, private sector, donor agency, and NGO alliances to
achieve the forum’s goals, and attract educators, researchers,
professionals and practitioners “to debate and reach consensus on the
contribution of the world’s largest industry to the global issues of our
time.”
Issues to be discussed include a coordinated and
sustained travel industry response to the redevelopment and revitalization
of tsunami affected countries, poverty reduction, preventing conflict
through promoting cultural and international understanding, tolerance, and
co-operation, and, ecological enhancement and preservation of biodiversity.
Registration fees range from US$30 (Bt.1,200) (for
students) to US$475 (Bt.19,000). (TTG Asia)
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