JORDAN
Jordan tour in its new Discovery Adventures programme targeted at agents. It visits Jerash, Madaba, Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea (www.
gadventures.com).
u
Hurp said he is discussing ways to promote the anniversary with the Royal Geographical Society in London, which had some of the maps drawn when it was rediscovered.
Jordan What's new
Most of the new holidays in Jordan this year are tours.
Cox & Kings has four new itineraries
ranging from a four-night Jordan In Brief short break to a seven-night Jordan Treasures trip that takes in the cultural highlights – so agents have plenty to offer clients who want to see all of Jordan´s key attractions. For customers who want to
fl y and fl op, international chains Mövenpick, Kempinski, Radisson and InterContinental have properties at the Dead Sea and in Aqaba that agents can package with fl ights. EasyJet started thrice-weekly low-
cost fl ights from Gatwick to Amman last year, bmi has 10 fl ights a week from Heathrow to Amman this summer, with fares from £204 return, while Royal Jordanian Airlines has a daily Heathrow service.
G Adventures has an eight-day
Top: A tapestry at Mount Nebo, said to be the burial site of Moses. Below: Petra
Rotana is opening the 400-suite Boulevard Arjaan by Rotana, targeted at long-term guests and families, in the centre of Amman early this year. Crowne Plaza is opening a new resort at the Dead Sea in May 2012. The property has 420 rooms and suites, and a large spa. Encounters Travel has a Jordan Encounters tour from Amman, visiting Aqaba, Wadi Rum and Petra, and including a night in a Bedouin camp. From £800pp excluding fl ights. Shearings’ new eight-day tour visits
Petra and the Dead Sea, and includes a jeep ride in the desert. From £1,199pp, with fl ights and transfers.
tourismtalk
Stephen Hurp Director
Jordan Tourist Board “Bookings in 2011 were
down about 10% to 65,000 due to the Arab Spring, even though there was no upheaval in Jordan. ”We expect bookings to rebound in 2012 because attention will be focused on the 200th anniversary of Petra being re-discovered and the 50th anniversary of the movie Lawrence of Arabia, which was fi lmed in Wadi Rum.“
Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea
pumping: “Jordan is great for families who want some adventure and clients interested in ecotourism” PHILIP BRECKNER, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, DISCOVER JORDAN
Get their adrenalin Encourage them to take
a tour: “A tour is the best way to experience Jordan: clients can pack in everything – and it offers great value” MICHAEL CREIGHTON, JORDAN PRODUCT AND PURCHASING MANAGER, TRAVEL 2
Get them to dive in: “Aqaba has scuba diving, dive schools for all
levels and unspoilt reefs” PHILIP BRECKNER, COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, DISCOVER JORDAN
summer: “The country is best from October to April, so travellers don’t miss any part of their trip due to extreme summer heat” MICHAEL CREIGHTON, JORDAN PRODUCT AND PURCHASING MANAGER, TRAVEL 2
Advise them to avoid u
food: “A mezze includes just about everything from hummus and tahini to pickled vegetables, falafel and more. It’s an appetiser but you rarely need the next course” JANE ARCHER, TRAVEL JOURNALIST
Suggest a dip into local
The award-winning Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea lies on the shores of the world’s oldest natural spa – the Dead Sea – set amidst gardens dotted with lagoons, waterfalls and private pools. The hotel is described as a ‘true haven of wellness’ where ancient olive trees mingle with palms trees. Designed in affectionate tribute to
the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the fi ve-star Kempinski Hotel Ishtar boasts 345 rooms (superior and deluxe) and suites within an Arabesque monument building that weaves clean and simple lines into an Arabian theme. For a more luxurious and exclusive
stay, the hotel offers contemporary décor Ishtar Royal Villas (with a choice between Beach Chalets and Royal Villas, the latter with a personal chauffeur and luxury car throughout a guest’s stay). The hotel features one of the largest spas in the Middle East at 10,000 sq m and also has a tennis court, fi tness centre, kids’ club and four pool options, the Lazy River, Sunken Pool, Ashur Pool and Akkad Infi nity Pool. Guests have the option of two bars – the Sumerian and Kish Bars – and four restaurants: Obelisk; Akkad Pool Grill; Ashur Pizza & Grill Italian Restaurant; and The Codes Thai/Asian Fusion Restaurant.
MORE... online at
www.kempinski.com
Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea Swaimeh, Dead Sea Road P.O. Box 941806 11194, Amman, Jordan
T: 00962 5 356 8888 F: 00962 5 356 8800 E:
sales.ishtar@
kempinski.com
10 March/April 2012 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
thedeal seal
My Jordan... by Jane Archer
“I’ll never forget my first glimpse of the Treasury, the building in Petra that starred in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, its red sandstone façade peeking through the narrow Siq, hinting at the vista to come. I’d arrived in Petra the previous day, travelling from Amman, the capital of Jordan, via the Dead Sea, where I floated in the mineral-rich waters, and stayed overnight at the Mövenpick Resort. There are carriages to take you down the Siq leading to the former Nabataean city, ‘lost’ until Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt ‘found’ it in 1812, but I chose the 30-minute walk, stopping on the way to admire the views. Petra is huge so be satisfied with the key sights – the Treasury, tombs, amphitheatre, Roman colonnades and monastery, 250 metres above the site. Walk up or take a donkey (negotiate a price first).”
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