DUBAI: Dubai-based airline flydubai has announced the resumption of flights to Malé, the capital of the island nation the Maldives from October 27. The service which the carrier initially operated between 2013 and 2018 will be reinstated due to popular demand as the Indian Ocean destination welcomed back tourists of all nationalities earlier this summer. This brings the number of destinations flydubai operates to 40 across its network in Africa, Central Asia, Europe, Indian Subcontinent and the Middle East. Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “We continue to see signs of recovery as more countries start to…
Author: holidayweekly
CAPE TOWN: South Africa is preparing to reopen its borders to international travellers for the first time since March. In an address to the nation earlier, president Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed the process would begin on October 1st. The move comes as the country enters national lockdown alert ‘level one’ from Sunday, following a significant decrease in infections. South Africa is currently recording an average of fewer than 2,000 Covid-19 cases per day. Ramaphosa, however, said travel may be restricted to and from certain countries that are deemed high risk, with a list of these countries set to be announced in…
ISLAMABAD Last week, SereneAir successfully operated its A330 Inaugural Flight on Karachi-Islamabad-Karachi sector. The newly inducted Airbus aircraft has a Two-Class Configuration i.e., Serene Plus (Executive Economy Class) and Economy Class. The airline carried 299 passengers on both sectors. A ceremony was held at both Karachi and Islamabad airports to celebrate a successful inaugural flight. Mr. Muhammad Safdar Malik, CEO SereneAir and Mr. Khalid Bashir Anjum, CCO SereneAir, were present at Karachi and Islamabad Airport respectively. [huge_it_slider id=”575″] SereneAir is offering 80 KG checked in baggage allowance and 12 KG hand carry allowance for its Serene Plus passengers in addition…
MADRID: The massive drop in travel demand over the first half of 2020 translated into a loss of 440 million international arrivals and about $460 billion in export revenues from international tourism. [huge_it_slider id=”574″] International tourist arrivals plunged 93% in June when compared to 2019, with the latest data from the World Tourism Organization showing the severe impact Covid-19 has had on the sector. According to the new issue of the World Tourism Barometer from the United Nations specialised agency, international tourist arrivals dropped by 65% during the first half of the year. This represents an unprecedented decrease, as countries…
Syed I. R. Kazimi The passing away of Mrs. Shireen S. Walji is a sad event in Pakistan’s tourism industry. In the heydays of Pakistan Tourism, she was a power to reckon with. She did excellent business in Inbound Tourism and held sway at the federal Ministry of Tourism. She was for seven years the Chairperson of Islamabad Skal Club and Vice President of Asia Skal Club. She was Chairperson of PATA Pakistan Chapter from 1984 to 1986 and, at the Pacific Asia Travel Association, Bangkok, she made a formidable niche for herself, being member of its several Councils and…
KARACHI: Virgin Atlantic has announced on Thursday, September 17 that flights from Pakistan to London Heathrow and Manchester are on sale now with return Economy fares starting from PKR 103,600/- per person, Premium from PKR 154,500/-and Upper Class from PKR 353,100/-. Flying three new routes from Lahore to London Heathrow, Islamabad to London Heathrow, as well as from Islamabad to Manchester, subject to applicable regulatory approvals; these new services will operate on one of Virgin Atlantic’s newest, most fuel-efficient aircraft, the 787-9 boasting 31 Upper Class suites, 35 Premium and 192 Economy seats. These new services will open up over…
SINGAPORE: From December, all Singaporeans aged 18 and above will receive S$100 (US$74) worth of SingapoRediscovers vouchers, which can be used on staycations, attraction tickets and tours. The vouchers will be provided in denominations of S$10 via the SingPass government portal, and will be valid for seven months between this December through end-June next year, reported Channel NewsAsia. SingapoRediscovers vouchers can be utilised on local hotel stays, tickets to attractions and tours; a domestic tourist snapping a photo of the floral display at the Flower Dome at Gardens by the Bay pictured A S$10 subsidy will also be provided for…
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Minister for Tourism Ahmed Al-Khateeb today, September 16, announced that the establishment of the UNWTO Regional Office for the Middle East in Riyadh has been approved by UNWTO Executive Council members. The announcement was made in a statement at the 112th session of the UNWTO Executive Council, hosted in Georgia, Tbilisi. The new UNWTO Regional Office will serve as a hub for the UNWTO to 13 countries in the Middle East. The office will focus on building long-term growth for the sector and human capital development in the travel and tourism sector in the region. The office…
MONTREAL: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has the Canadian government to support the Covid-19 testing initiatives of Air Canada and Westjet as a means to safely reopen Canada to international and domestic travel without the need for blanket quarantine measures. International traffic to Canada has plummeted since quarantine measures were introduced in March 2020. “There are alternatives to the quarantine measures currently in place that can both keep Canadians safe as well as revive the economy. The ICAO multi-layered approach (Take-off guidance) is one. The work that Air Canada and WestJet are doing on testing adds another dimension,” said…
MUSCAT: Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, is ensuring the safety of its guests and crew with a comprehensive program which includes the use of high-efficiency particulate absorbing (HEPA) filters on all aircraft. The airline said in a statement on Sunday, “These filters, which meet exacting standards and are used in hospitals throughout the world, capture 99.97 per cent of bacteria, viruses and impurities as aircraft cabin air is fully refreshed every 2 to 3 minutes. The filtration system brings in fresh outside air as it cleans and discharges air in the cabins.” Oman Air’s certified…