news to use REPORTING ON THE TOP NEWS STORIES Agents’ added
value from Acacia Agents looking to generate more
Africa sales should look to overland adventure specialist Acacia Africa. The operator has introduced a range
of ‘free’ activities on its small group safaris, with savings of up to £114pp on its 13-day Trek South Africa tour. Leanne Haigh, Project Development Manager, said: “We have held prices at 2011 rates. These savings apply throughout 2012 so represent an opportunity for agents to drive sales and boost their commissions over the course of the year.” The Trek South Africa small group
Time for 48 hours in Qatar
BY STEVE HARTRIDGE Qatar aims to increase visitor
numbers by 20% over the next five years. The Arab state, which currently attracts 1.2 million tourists a year – although most are short-stay business travellers or tourists from neighbouring countries – has appointed travel representation and public relations company Hills Balfour to oversee its first international office. UK tourists – around 40,000 visit
annually – will be enticed to consider the destination as more than a single- night stopover, en route to Australia, the Indian Ocean or Asia, through a new integrated trade and consumer
IN BRIEF
Rocky Mountain freebies Clients who book a Rocky Mountaineer rail holiday of six nights or more until April 30 2012,can extend their stay in Vancouver with a free additional hotel night and a complimentary sightseeing tour on the West Coast or a dinner for two in the Canadian Rockies.
www.rockymountaineer.com
Mövenpick’s Philippines hideaway Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is to manage Huma Island Resort, a private island in the Philippines. When it opens in the final quarter of 2012, the resort will feature 80 over-water bungalows and six restaurants. Huma Island is known for its great diving, corals, marine life and rainforest-covered mountains.
www.moevenpick-hotels.com
Big cats star for Kenya Agents can expect a rush of interest in
Kenya when Disney’s African Cats, with the Maasai Mara National Reserve as the scenic backdrop, is released in UK cinemas from April 20. The film follows two cat families on Kenya’s vast African plains, where lions, leopards and cheetahs live in close proximity to one another. Search on
www.youtube.com
www.sellinglonghaul.com • April 2012 07
campaign that will be rolled out over the next couple of months. ‘Qatar in 48 hours’ will highlight attractions like overnight desert safaris, archaeological sites and forts, traditional souks, dhow excursions, diving and golf and the new Museum of Islamic Art. Qatar Tourism Authority Chairman Ahmed Abdulla Al Nuami said the country has been building its tourism infrastructure: five years ago it had just 2,700 hotel rooms; today the number is around 17,000 with another 7000 planned by the end of the year. The frenetic pace of building won’t
stop there: 80 new hotels and 42 hotel apartments are under construction,
which when complete will add a total of 21,107 rooms to the market Recent hotel openings include the
The Intercontinental Doha and St Regis Doha. Two major museums, on arts and
sports, are planned along with a major entertainment centre with a theme park and two new golf courses (the country presently has one). A major rail link connecting Doha with the airport and sports stadiums will be up and running before the country hosts the FIFA World Cup in 2022, said Al Nuami. Fam trips for the trade are planned for
later in the year.
www.qatartourism.gov.qa
safari, which begins and ends in Johannesburg, includes nine free activities from a list featuring a pony trek through Lesotho (pictured), an estuary cruise in St-Lucia (KwaZulu-Natal), a Basotho village walk and a Tugela Falls excursion. Prices from £875pp. A 19-day Kruger Lesotho & Garden
Route package is priced from £1,275pp (saving £101pp) starting in Johannesburg and ending in Cape Town.
www.acacia-africa.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76