CRUISE
Emerald Cruises reports strong demand for sailings in Asia
Emerald Cruises said it has seen strong demand for itineraries in its new southeast Asia river cruise programme, which has departures up to May 2027. The collection includes nearly
200 sailings on the Mekong on board 84-passenger Emerald Harmony and also features land tours in Laos and Japan. One of the 17 itineraries is an
11-day Enchanting Mekong and Siem Reap cruise and tour, which leads in at £3,545. The 26-day Wonders of Japan,
Vietnam and Cambodia cruise and land tour starts at £12,430. The 24-day Grand Tour of
Indochina, meanwhile, which visits Halong Bay, Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat and Siem Reap, costs from £8,685. Prices include flights.
emeraldcruises.co.uk
Mekong River
PICTURE: British Airways AVIATION
British Airways boosts winter long-haul programme by 9%
Robin Searle
British Airways has expanded its long-haul network for winter 2026-27 by 9% as it continues to operate additional Asia services in the short term due to extended suspensions on Middle East routes. Flights to Amman, Bahrain, Dubai and Tel Aviv are
cancelled up to and including May 31, and services to Doha until April 30. Abu Dhabi services are due to resume in October for the 2026-27 winter season. The 9% increase in BA’s schedule against winter
2025-26 will see the introduction of flights to Melbourne and Colombo, as well as additional flights to destinations including Cape Town, Tokyo, Bridgetown, Kingston and Costa Rican capital San José. The daily year-round service from Heathrow to Melbourne, via Kuala Lumpur, will begin on January 9.
Simpson marks decade in France with new villas and packages
Villa and boutique hotel specialist Simpson Travel has launched ferry, train and flight package options for France as it marks 10 years in the destination, where it features nearly 80 villas. New properties for 2026 include the Mas d’Eygalières in Provence, from £8,337 for a week’s room-only, and Villa Biscay, Hossegor, from £2,878.
simpsontravel.com
travelweekly.co.uk The three-times-a-week winter service from
Gatwick to Colombo will begin on October 23. Also new are a third daily flight from Heathrow
to Cape Town from December, an increase in Tokyo services to twice-daily from March, and a daily Gatwick-Barbados service from October 25, which will complement existing Heathrow flights. Saint Lucia flights will become a standalone service
from October 25, while flights to San José will switch to Heathrow and operate five times a week. In the US, New Orleans frequency will increase to
four flights a week and Houston will move to 12, while Baltimore will become daily. An expansion in Delhi services introduced for the
summer season will be retained, with three daily flights continuing through the winter.
ba.com
Riviera Travel releases entire programmes for 2027 and 2028
Riviera Travel has launched its 2027 and 2028 programmes “earlier than ever”, together with a 10% discount, valid until May 27, in an Open for Discovery sale. Marketing assets for agents include posters, digital and social media content,
available from Riviera’s e-learning platform.
rivexplorer.com
rivieratravel.co.uk
InsideAsia introduces 13-night Majestic Korea escorted itinerary
Cultural adventure specialist InsideAsia has a new small-group itinerary in South Korea. The 13-night Majestic Korea escorted tour visits cities, coastal and mountain regions to explore the country’s history, food and culture, with much of the travel by train. Two October departures are offered for the ‘superior grade’ tour, with prices from £7,280, excluding flights.
insideasiatours.com
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Melbourne
PICTURE: Shutterstock/flookiesjazz
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