 |
Al-Ahram Weekly 8 - 14 April 1999 Issue No. 424 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
 |
 |
|
|
Al-Ahram Weekly 8 - 14 April 1999 Issue No. 424
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
|
|
|
Sinai airports
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Profile Features Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters
THERE are now three international airports in Sinai equipped to handle a regular flow of all types of aircraft. Taba International Airport has joined Sharm Al-Sheikh and Al-Arish to form an integrated air transportation network for tourists and investors alike. "Taba airport has a four-kilometre-long and 45-metre-wide runway and a parking area for 15 aircraft," Minister of Transportation Soliman Metwalli said recently. "The runways are equipped with the latest in lighting technology and the capacity of the arrival and departure terminals allows for 600 passengers per hour," Metwalli added.Vacanze prizes
CLUB VACANZE, a major Italian travel agency geared to the elite, recently organised a festival in Cairo's Capital Club. It included a ladies' bridge tournament in which several society women took part, including Leila Moussa, wife of Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, Mrs Said Talaat Harb and Mrs Ahmed El-Nahhas, area manager of Hilton International. Winners Maude Khoury and Mona Akl received tickets to Italy (courtesy of Alitalia Airlines) and accommodation in one of Club Vacanze's villages in Italy. Club Vacanze has 19 club villages in Italy, the Maldives, the Seychelles, Zanzibar, Tanzania and the Caribbean. Officials of Club Vacanze are considering establishing some in Egypt and have cast their sights on the Red Sea coast.Russian award
EGYPT recently participated in MITT, one of the most important Russian exhibitions for tourism and travel, and won an award for the country "most actively exchanging tourists with Russia", said Adel Abdel-Aziz, head of the Egyptian Tourist Authority (ETA). The Egyptian delegation, which included some 40 companies dealing specifically with the Russian market, displayed its wares in a 300-metre-square temple-like pavilion during the 23-27 March event.Revival publicised
MANY articles were published this month dealing with the revival of tourism in Egypt, the new security measures adopted for the protection of tourists and the new development projects on the Red Sea coast, in the Aqaba Gulf and in Sinai. In Travel Weekly, an American magazine, one article dealt with the increase in tourism in Egypt, especially in January and February, compared to the same period last year and stressed the new security measures. In Travel Agent, another US magazine, an article focused on Aswan, its environment and attractions, suggesting that it could become an international tourist destination.The magazine Big Picture concentrated on the Egyptian economy, especially tourist development projects in the Red Sea and Sinai. The article dealt with the increase in domestic tourism in the last five years as a result of the development of several resorts.
The Scotsman carried a three-page article on Luxor, including colour photos of the city's monuments, the Bedouin environment and picturesque views of green cultivated land and the desert.
Japanese promotion
IN AN attempt to revive the Japanese market, Adel Abdel-Aziz, head of the Egyptian Tourist Authority (ETA), met a Japanese delegation that included representatives from the media and travel agents. "A big media campaign is being launched in Japan this month," Abdel-Aziz said. "It will include the major newspapers, magazines, TV and billboards on the main roads." He added that Egypt now provides the Japanese traveller with Son et Lumiere performances and tourist brochures in Japanese. "There are many restaurants which provide Japanese food, too." Abdel-Aziz also said studies were under way on the possibility of holding an Egyptian antiquities exhibition in Japan in the year 2000.Camel racing in Sinai
THE CAMEL races to be held in Sharm Al-Sheikh will take place from 24 April to 5 May. About 17 tribes from all the Egyptian governorates will participate with about 250 camels of different kinds.On the sidelines of the week-long festival, many activities will take place such as football and basketball matches, motor cycling, beach-ball, diving, surfing and folkloric dancing.
"We want to make use of the event and market it worldwide as a new trend in tourism. We want to show our culture and traditions to the world," said Adel Abdel-Aziz, head of the Egyptian Tourist Authority. "A video film of the festival will be shot and then distributed among Egypt's tourist offices abroad," he added.
Summer schedule
WITH AN increased demand in air travel for the summer period, British Airways in Egypt has announced that it will be offering an additional weekly flight to London, thus raising its number of flights to Egypt to 10 per week during the summer. Three of these flights will be operating from Alexandria and seven from Cairo."With a continuous increase in tourism for Egypt, we need to offer new and improved services to facilitate this rise in tourism. Our customers' convenience is of utmost importance," said Andy Geary Stevens, British Airways manager for Egypt.
Compiled by Rehab Saad
