Recommend May 2011 - (Page 89)

Opposite page: One of Egypt’s sightseeing highlights is the Ramses II Statue in Memphis. ing in. They’re able to make it around those times, if not we can work with them.” On Fridays, Fawcett points out, “There’s still demonstrations and we’ve adjusted our sightseeing to get around those. We don’t do Cairo sightseeing on that particular day, but everything else, we’re keeping the same.” On pricing, too, there are some discounts available, still, she says, “The thinking is, it is Egypt and we’ve been operating there for 20-plus years and we’ve seen a lot of things happen there. But it always rebounds; it’s just one of those places,” Fawcett says, “that people will always want to go.” Amr Badr, managing director, Egypt and the Middle East for A&K, points out that the U.S. no longer advises against non-essential travel to Egypt, but notes that travelers should remain aware of the current situation. Most U.S. diplomats and embassy staff have returned to Egypt, and the embassy is resuming normal operations. He also says that the Ministry of the Interior is functioning and police, including tourism police, are deployed throughout the country. The nightly curfew has also been reduced to three hours from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. Finally, he says, “…occupancies in Egypt currently vary by location, from approximately 17-25 percent in Cairo, 20-35 percent on the Red Sea, to between 10-20 percent in Upper Egypt. The majority of visitors are from short-haul destinations—mostly Europe and the region—with some travelers from the Americas. The numbers of tourist arrivals continue to pick up and the experience of visitors to Egypt is by all means first-class in terms of added value, crowd-free sights, engagements with Egyptian culture, and the vibrant energy of a new Egypt.” Check out A&K’s 11-day Egypt Unveiled program priced from $5,165 pp with the company’s “Special Advantages” that includes convenient charter flights within Egypt; avoiding crowds and climbing over other ships at A&K’s private Nile docking facilities in Luxor and Aswan; cruise off the beaten path to Denderah, site of one of Egypt’s best-preserved and less-frequented temples; enjoy luxury accommodations at the Four Seasons hotel in Cairo and the palatial Mena House Oberoi in Giza, featuring impressive views of the pyramids; sail the lush Aswan islands in a felucca (sailboat); and learn about Egypt’s ancient past during an informal talk by an A&K Egyptologist aboard Sun Boat IV. A&K is offering a savings of 10 percent pp savings on this program for the Oct. 20 departure if booked by July 31. Additionally, the company is offering 10 to 40 percent savings on select Egypt itineraries (land only), depending on departure dates. Offer valid through July 31 bookings. goway travel Moira Smith, general manager, Africa and the Middle East for Goway Travel, is also bullish on Egypt. “We’re booking again. It’s certainly a lot slower than before the events of late-January, but we are seeing some inquires coming back. I think the best thing—and something that we actually use as a sales tool with people who do phone in—are the wonderful reports from customers who have returned and who are more than happy for us to use their comments as testimonials.” She adds ÍÍ may 2011 89 http://goway.com http://www.goway.com/egypt

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend May 2011

Editor's Notes/Agent Speak
Hotel Desk: Autograph Collection by Marriott
Tour Talk: Avanti Destinations
10 Amazing Golf Resorts
Dominican Republic Greens
Tee off, Barbados-Style
Teeing Up in Bermuda
Mexico Destination Weddings & Honeymoon Planner
A Quartet of Courses
Portugal & Spain Serve Up a Banquet of Great Golf
Touring the U.K. With Rail Europe
Uniworld's New "Super Ship" Antoinette
Savoring Exotic Asia
Coming Back to Egypt

Recommend May 2011