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OMAN Air has introduced free stopovers in Oman for travellers flying one of the airline’s daily services out of Heathrow and onwards to its 40+ other destinations. The London/Muscat route is one of the most important for Oman Air according to Abdulrazaq J. Alraisi, the airline’s Chief Commercial Officer, who believes that the airline’s level of hospitality is a key ingredient to its current success. “The way we look after our


customers differentiates us from other airlines. Our crew really go beyond the expectation of the customer and make the trip something to remember. “We have also been voted as having the best business class seat in the world for the past two years by Skytrax and number three in the business class airline category. We also have top ten places in eight other categories, all since the arrival of the A330s in 2009.” www.omanair.com


NCL heads to Alaska


NORWEGIAN Cruise Line has launched a Freestyle Cruising Alaska brochure showcasing its sailings and a range of new Cruisetour options. Sailings include seven-night trips to Glacier Bay or Sawyer Glacier from Seattle aboard Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Jewel. These can be combined with whale watching in Juneau, the scenery of Skagway and Seattle. The cruise also stops in Ketchikan and Victoria. New too are seven-night one-way itineraries travelling on board Norwegian Sun between Vancouver and Whittier and ports of call including Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway in addition to scenic highlights. Agents can now offer guests aboard Norwegian Sun the chance to travel into the six-million acre Denali National Park with a 3 or 4-night add- on Cruisetour. Here, clients will be escorted by qualified Alaskan tour guides and can travel on the the famous Alaska Railroad. www.ncl.co.uk


6 January 2013 • www.sellinglonghaul.com Gold Medal rewards LATA highlights luxury


BY ANDY HOSKINS LATIN American tourist boards are getting savvy to the needs of European travellers and increasingly highlighting luxury product according to the UK's Latin America Travel Association. “There’s a notable swing in Latin America to upmarket product,” says LATA chairman Chris Pickard. “Tourist boards are realising that this is what they should focus on in European markets. They’re more switched on about markets and what's wanted now.” Pickard says the ‘Palin factor’


(following the BBC’s recent Brazil series) and David Attenborough’s forthcoming Galapagos 3D series for Sky will stimulate interest in the region, as will Brazil’s forthcoming role as host


IN BRIEF


Low-cost accommodation in Phuket: Budget brand Tune Hotels has opened its fourth hotel in Thailand, the Tune Hotel Patong in Phuket. The new property offers 144 rooms with rates from just $13 for guests checking in from January 3, 2013 onwards. All extras can be purchased by guests as required. www.tunehotels.com


New address for Seychelles: The


Seychelles Tourist Office UK has now relocated to its new premises within the Seychelles High Commission in Knightsbridge. The address is Seychelles Tourist Office, Fourth Floor, 11 Grosvenor Crescent, London SW1X 7EE. Email: info-tourism.uk@seychelles.travel www.seychelles.travel


Nobu opens: The world’s first Nobu


Hotel is set to open at Caesars Palace and is now taking reservations for stays commencing on February 4, 2013. The adjacent Nobu Restaurant will be the world’s largest. Robert DeNiro co-owns the property with celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Prices for a double room start from £187. www.NobuCaesarsPalace.com


of both the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games. “The important thing is to get word out there that Brazil is open for business to independent travellers during these events – not just those on official match packages,” says Pickard. “Agents should use the expertise of tour operators to tailor-make itineraries in the region around these events.” In its annual awards, LATA recognised


hotel operator Inkaterra (pictured) in the field of sustainability; Journey Latin America for outstanding customer service; Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador for innovation; and the Turismo Chile tourist board for promotional success. www.lata.org


FAREBANK, Gold Medal’s long running agent incentive scheme has been given a facelift with the launch of the Farebank Rewards Love2Choose Flexecash card. In a move to bring a faster, more efficient incentive redemption process to the current Farebank rewards scheme, agents will now receive a new Flexecash card as a replacement to the current Love2Shop vouchers. Rewards will be collected in the same way, however instead of receiving bundles of Love2Shop vouchers in the post, rewards will be added to the new Flexecash card. Agents simply present their card at the till to instantly redeem their rewards against their purchases or spend online at Amazon, i-tunes and other online and high street stores. With no minimum spend required, agents' cards will be debited by the value of the goods bought in each transaction, giving them greater flexibility. And keeping track of the rewards will become easier with the facility to check current card balances online, by text or by phone. Gold Medal National Account Manager, Tina Hodge, said: “With the world increasingly moving towards paperless transactions, we felt agents needed a more flexible method of redeeming their rewards. The Love2Choose Flexecash card means agents will now be able to not only get access to their rewards quicker, but also spend them more easily and have the security and convenience of storing the rewards in one place rather than trying to keep track of their paper vouchers.” www.goldmedal.co.uk


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