| JULY 9: FUNWAY Holidays is expanding its portfolio of tailor-made tours this year.
The operator launched its Funway Thailand 2008 programme in early July with a full Far East 2008/09 programme to follow.
Funway Thailand features a range of destinations, hotels and resorts as well as an extensive variety of beaches, cultural and city options.
Flights are offered on scheduled Etihad services from Heathrow and Manchester, via Abu Dhabi, as well as non-stop services from Heathrow to Bangkok with EVA Airways.
Five-night Bangkok city breaks start from £625pp; 13-night twin-centre city and beach stays from £739 and multi-centres from £925 for 14 nights with all prices including flights, transfers, hotels, taxes and fuel surcharges.
Introductory offers will include special fares, free nights and room upgrades ahead of the full Far East brochure.
0844 573 5888 or www.funway.co.uk
» More General Travel news: see June EMAG
JULY 9: MALYASIA is celebrating after two of its cities, Melaka and Georgetown, were among the 13 new sites added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Located in the ‘Straits of Malacca, both places can point to over 500 years of trading and cultural exchange between East and West. With its government buildings, churches, squares and fortifications, Melaka is a fine example of historical architecture originating in the 15th-century and developing under Dutch and Portuguese colonial rule.
Featuring striking residential and commercial buildings, Georgetown represents the British era from the end of the 18th century. The two cities boast architecture unique in East and Southeast Asia.
www.tourism.gov.my
» More General Travel news: see June EMAG
JULY 8: THE rising price of fuel is behind Emirates’ decision to axe its daily service between Dubai and Alexandria in Egypt and shelf a planned new daily route between Dubai and Durban, South Africa, which was set to start in December.
The cancellation of the Durban route will be a blow to UK travellers because there are no direct flight options to the seaside city in Kwazulu-Natal.
An Emirates spokesman said: “Although demand to Durban was strong and the route well received, the high price of fuel has forced Emirates to evaluate its route operations ever more closely.”
The airline’s existing services to Egypt and South Africa will continue unchanged.
www.emirates.com/uk
» More General Travel news: see June EMAG
JULY 9: SOUTH African hotel group The Mantis Collection has added Oceana Beach & Wildlife Resort, near Port Elizabeth, to its portfolio of boutique hotels and game reserves.
The property is unique in South Africa in being able to offer both a beach and bush experience.
Texan owner, Rip Miller, got the idea for Oceana after spending time on other reserves in South Africa, including parks in and around Kruger National Park and Shamwari and what began as a personal sanctuary along a vast expanse of Eastern Cape beach is now an ultra-luxurious haven.
The resort is made up of 10 spacious private suites spread around the reserve.
Its seaside location ofefrs activities such as scuba diving, whale watching, deep sea fishing and windsurfing, whilst land excursions such as star gazing, sundowners, golf. On-site luxuries include a full range of spa treatments and five-star dining.
Southern African Travel has rooms at Oceana Beach and Wildlife Reserve from £390 pp per night on a fully-inclusive basis
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01483 425 533 or www.southafricantravel.com
» More General Travel news: see June EMAG
JULY 9: AIR New Zealand has completed its move to Heathrow’s Terminal One after a decade of flying from Terminal Three.
The move, originally scheduled for June 10 but postponed to ensure all systems were fully operational, marks the beginning of the Star Alliance project to bring all member airlines together under one roof at Heathrow by 2012.
“We are pleased to say that our move on Friday went exactly as planned, with no passengers experiencing any inconvenience. Our new home at T1 is an exciting move for us, and will enable our Air New Zealand passengers will benefit from the transformations already underway in the terminal, including a simpler check-in which reduces congestion and promises quicker processing times, a refreshed arrivals area and immigration hall, and upgraded baggage system, according to Scott Carr, Air New Zealand’s European general manager.
Air New Zealand premium passengers can use the new Star Alliance lounge, which also opened in Terminal 1 this month. The facility is the largest lounge on the Star Alliance network.
www.airnewzealand.co.uk
» More General Travel news: see June EMAG
JULY 3: VIRGIN Atlantic has an incentive to help its passengers get their holidays off to the best of starts this summer.
Until August 31 all passengers travelling from Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester Airports who check-in online will receive £10 off a purchase of two or more fragrances from the Virgin Atlantic onboard Retail Therapy Duty Free shopping range.
The VScents for Her and VScents for Him ranges feature some of the latest perfumes and designers fragrances with huge savings on high street prices.
Passengers travelling from London Heathrow or London Gatwick will also receive exclusive vouchers and discounts to spend at selected duty free retailers within the departure areas of Terminal 3 at Heathrow and the South Terminal at Gatwick.
Online check-in is currently used by nearly a quarter of Virgin passengers, according to Paul Dickinson, the airline’s sales & marketing director.
To obtain the vouchers, passengers will need to check-in online and then print off their vouchers from their check-in confirmation email and take them with them to the airport on the day of departure. For the Retail Therapy discount, passengers will need to present the voucher to a member of cabin crew onboard their flight.
www.virginatlantic.com
» More General Travel news: see June EMAG
JULY 3: NEWS and product updates from Dubai are now available to the trade on a more regular basis after the Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) consolidated its various regular releases into one monthly news bulletin.
Free to online subscribers, the new Dubai Update is the result of consultation with its key partners about streamlining Dubai Update and the other news alerts dispensed via Dubai Expert, the DTCM’s training programme.
Three differently themed versions of the newsletter are available to interested parties – tourism, MICE and commerce. Users have access to all three newsletters, as well as to useful background information such as past issues, press releases, DTCM contact details, exhibition listings and visitor statistics.
Register for Dubai Update at www.dubaiupdate.co.uk
» More General Travel news: see June EMAG
JULY 2: KIWI Experience is offering a 20% discount off all standard passes during July leaving your customers more money to explore more of New Zealand.
Book any of the 28 Kiwi Experience passes before August 1 to get 20% off. Customers have 12 months from the purchase date to use the passes.
Kiwi Experience passes are hop-on, hop-off bus adventures, covering most of the well-known attractions in the country as well as taking customers off the beaten track to get a real feel for the throughout New Zealand, its culture and people.
The passes are fully flexible and allow customers to hop on and off the bus for as little or as long as they like.
Ranging from a minimum travelling time of two to 31 days, passes start from as little as NZ$76 for two days of travel
Contact Kiwi Experience on 020 7569 3075.
» More General Travel news: see June EMAG
JULY 1: THE credit crunch may be biting but the appetite for luxury travel remains strong, according to tour operator Bailey Robinson.
Rory Pilkington, the bespoke operator’s managing director, said the increasing cost of fuel, food and finance has done little to diminish enthusiasm for a fabulous holiday.
“Against a backdrop of economic gloom, when many consumers are having to face cutbacks, holidays in our sector remain steadfast. Despite increasing pressure on our income it seems that people are unwilling to forego their holiday”.
Bailey Robinson creates individual itineraries for clients across five continents under its three main programmes: ‘African Safaris’, ‘Luxury Journeys’ and ‘Luxury Resorts’.
Customers seeking optimum value in 2008 are travelling further afield, to dollar-based destinations such as Mauritius, which has some excellent offers at this time of year, Canada, South East Asia and Africa, said Pilkington.
01488 689 700
www.baileyrobinson.com
» More General Travel news: see June EMAG
JULY 2: New York State Tourism has linked with Virgin Atlantic to promote the Empire State's wine regions - Finger Lakes, Long Island, Niagara Escarpment and the Hudson Valley - during the summer months.
The promotion is designed to increase the state’s brand awareness according to Thomas Ranese, chief marketing officer of the NY State Division of Tourism and to show what’s on offer ‘beyond the Big Apple’.
Through August, six New York State wines will be served to Upper Class passengers in Virgin Atlantic’s Heathrow Clubhouse; a four-page Getaway Guide will be carried in the seat back of every flight in July which will aim to drive people to iloveny.com/wine; print ads will appear in Seatback magazine; and a 30 second King Kong TV spot will be one of the first spots on every Virgin Atlantic flight.
According to Thomas Ranese, “the British think of New York and love it but we’re giving them additional reasons to love New York and to find things to do on a trip, visiting places like the Hudson Valley, the Catskills, Niagara Escarpment or Long Island for example.”
“Virgin Atlantic is a great partner and we hope to work with them on other themes and we also hope to create more themed packages with tour operators.”
New York State has more than 240 wineries.
www.iloveny.com/wine
» More North America news: see June EMAG
JUNE 30: JETSET is celebrating its 40th anniversary by becoming the first major tour operator to abandon printed brochures and drive all business online.
The move is designed to save resources but is supported by the launch of a new travel agents guide to support retailers booking through the online system.
Chairman John Bond said: “The problem of brochure wastage won’t go away, and both agents and their customers are demanding an end to the tons of unwanted paper that pile up every year.
“Brochures have always represented only a small proportion of our product range and prices are out-of-date as soon as they are printed. Today’s web-savvy agents are more than happy to create holidays online, so continuing to produce consumer brochures just doesn’t stack up. We are however producing the Worldwide Travel Guide for agents to guide them through the sales process,” added Bond.
Agents can use the system to book virtually all scheduled airlines plus 5,000 hotels worldwide. Prices are set to reflect 10 per cent commission, but can be varied between none and 30 per cent according to market conditions. Agents can also book 5,000 hotels worldwide. Also at variable commission, and a full dynamic packaging system will be available later this year.”
www.jetsetholidays.co.uk
» More General Travel news: see June EMAG
JUNE 30: FIRST Choice is planning the first winter charter service from the UK to Aruba.
Fortnightly direct flights to Oranjestad, Aruba’s colourful capital, will operate between November 1, 2008 and April 30, 2009 from London Gatwick and Manchester, which are already serviced by First Choice during the summer months, and Birmingham International Airport.
The new winter flights are featured in First Choice’s Tropical brochure, available now.
First Choice Holidays is offering 14 nights all-inclusive at the Tamarijn Aruba from £1,277 per person, based on two adults sharing and departing from Birmingham International Airport on December 10. Prices include fuel levy, air passenger duty and local departure tax.
The island is located just 15 miles from South America.
0871 664 9020
www.firstchoice.co.uk/aruba
» More Caribbean news: see June EMAG
JUNE 30: ETIHAD Airways will add a third daily flight from London Heathrow to its Abu Dhabi home base in October.
The new service will brings the total number of flights to Heathrow each week from 17 to 21. The airline also operates a daily service out of Manchester.
Heathrow is one of Etihad’s longest serving airports having begun services in March 2004, only five months after the launch of the airline.
Onward long haul destinations accessible via Abu Dhabi with Etihad include Sydney, Singapore, Bangkok and Johannesburg.
0870 241 7121
www.etihadairways.com
» More General Travel news: see June EMAG
JUNE 30: NORTH Carolina’s title as America’s best-kept secret is under threat.
International visitor numbers to ‘The Tar Heel State’ have increased steadily since 2005, to 358,000 in 2007, making it the 15th most popular state to visit in America, its highest ever position, according to the survey which was compiled via questionnaires completed by international passengers flying into the US. North Carolina ranked 7th place for US holidaymakers in 2007.
“With our beaches, history, shopping, activities and scenery, North Carolina is the ideal destination for British holiday makers looking to get away from the crowds of Florida or New York and discover “real America,” said a North Carolina spokesman.
Key attractions in the state include the Great Smoky Mountains - The Blue Ridge Parkway attracts tourists and driving enthusiasts from around the world and will be celebrating its 75th anniversary next year - Charlotte, with 15 shopping malls within a 20-mile radius of the city centre one of the shopping Meccas of the southern States, and some of the country’s best beaches such as Ocracoke Beach and Cape Hatteras Beach on the Outer Banks.
Virgin Holidays offers a seven-night North Carolina fly-drive package from £524 pp this December. With no set tour clients can explore the state and the surrounding areas at their leisure. This price includes return international flights with US Airways from Heathrow direct to Charlotte and car hire. 24-31December 2008. The package may be subject to a fuel surcharge and an increase in Air Passenger Duty.
0844 5573 860
www.virginholidays.com
» More North America news: see June EMAG
JUNE 30: A NEW luxury hotel and spa, Veranda Chiang Mai – The High Resort, has opened in a private valley in northern Thailand.
Nestled in the hills on the outskirts of Chiang Mai, terraced gardens, water features including an infinity-edged hillside swimming pool with views of the forests below and feng shui landscaping are the draw cards of a resort that is sister to the Veranda Resort Hua Hin.
The property features 69 rooms, in four different styles, all with large private balconies and stunning views over the forest, mountain streams, rice and tea terraces.
Daily activities are organised in a purpose-built ‘Cultural Pavilion’, allowing guests to embrace local culture. Activities include Thai cooking classes, T-shirt or handkerchief tie-dye instruction, yoga, stress release massage classes, Tai Chi, and northern Thai banner craftwork.
A Kid’s club keeps youngsters entertained with educational toys and daily programmes of indoor and outdoor activities.
www.verandaresortandspa.com/chiangmai
» More Asia news: see June EMAG
JUNE 30: PRIVATE Indian airline Kingfisher hopes to start flights from London in September.
The airline's chairman and CEO, Indian tycoon Virjay Mallya, revealed in a BBC interview that the carrier had obtained slots at Heathrow to the allow flights to commence.
The route would be either to Mumbai or Bangalore and would be the carrier's first international service.
Kingfisher Airlines was established three years ago as India's first 'five-star airline' and is part of the UB group, the world's third largest drinks company.
After merging with rival Deccan a year ago, Kingfisher now serves 64 cities in India with almost 500 daily departures.
www.flykingfisher.com
» More Asia news: see June EMAG
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