FAISALABAD: A prominent leader of Travel Agents Association of Pakistan, Hafiz Shafiq Kashif met with federal minister of religion affairs Pir Noorul Haq Qadri and highlighted the issues of Umrahzairin. He emphasized for the necessarynegotiation with private sector seniors of Hajj Umrah operators in order to act upon new Umrah policy of Saudi government. He said that government should play its role in this matter. Federal minister of religion affairs Pir Dr. Noorrul Haq said that government of Pakistan is aware of its responsibilities and its first priority is to facilitate the guests of Allah according to their budget. He…
Author: holidayweekly
KARACHI: Pakistan International Airline (PIA) has recommenced twice weekly flights to Kuala Lumpur on every Monday and Friday. According to details, the first flight PK-894 operated by Boeing 777 aircraft took off from Islamabad carrying more than 300 passengers in the early hours of Monday, 14 Oct. The passengers were seen off by PIA officials at Islamabad International Airport. The flight operation to Kuala Lumpur has been restored after eight months which earlier suspended due to closure of airspace in February this year. CEO PIA Air Marshal Arshad Malik said that PIA planned to operate more flights on this route…
MADRID: A high-ranking official delegation from the US Department of State has met with head of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as the United States of America moves closer to rejoining the United Nations specialized agency for tourism. Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Kevin Moley and Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs Manisha Singh were welcomed by UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili, following up on the announcement that the USA is exploring rejoining UNWTO, of which it is a founding member. The two parties enjoyed productive discussions as the terms of membership are being finalized. This is…
DOHA: The first Qatar Airways flight from Doha to Langkawi, Malaysia touched down at Langkawi International Airport on Tuesday 15 October 2019. To celebrate the launch of the popular new destination, an extra special flight was operated from Doha to Langkawi on Wednesday 16 October 2019, in which a number of VIPS, international media and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker were on board. The special flight was greeted by a VIP celebratory ceremony at Langkawi International Airport which was attended by the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Malaysia, His Excellency Mr. Fahad…
DUBAI: Saudi-based Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) unveiled the masterplan for its 7.1 million-sq-m mega project coming up on the western side of capital Riyadh at a recent industry event in the kingdom. The key highlights of Diriyah Gate project are the setting up of world’s largest Islamic museum, the restoration of historic Wadi Hanifa with the planting of over one million indigenous Diriyah date trees, and the transformation of the beautiful Wadi Safar into a residential and hospitality district to become the Beverly Hills of Riyadh, said Jerry Inzerillo, CEO, Diriyah Gate Development Authority. Inzerillo was delivering his keynote…
Trips abroad from Asia are continuing to increase. After surging by seven percent in 2018, during the first eight months of 2019 they rose by a further six percent. This is in part due to international trips within Asia, which are a significant growth driver. Despite an anticipated decline in year-on-year growth, the prospects for 2020 remain good. These are the findings of the first trend analysis of the World Travel Monitor, to be presented by IPK International in Singapore. The World Travel Monitor is based on the results of representative interviews with more than 500,000 people in over 60…
HANOI: The famous street located in Hanoi’s Old Quarter is home to a 117-year-old railway track that runs down a street full of homes and cafes attracting the attention of hoards of photo hungry tourists looking for the perfect Instagram shot. It has gained so much attention that authorities ordered the removal of dozens of cafes frequented by tourists, which have become a safety hazard, according to Reuters. In fact, it’s being reported that last week a train was forced to make an emergency stop to avoid hitting tourists. The railway leads to Vietnam’s Northern provinces, carrying passengers and cargo…
KARACHI: Pakistan Hotels Association annual elections were held during July to September, 2019 and Election Results were announced at its 55th Annual General Meeting held on September 30, 2019 at Karachi Marriott Hotel. Following Office Bearers and Executive Committee Members have been elected for the term 2019-20: Mr. Zubair Baweja Chairman Mr. Zubair Baweja an entrepreneur in hospitality industry has extensive experience in management and operations after completing his MBA followed by number of courses in hospitality management operations from various leading institutes globally. Working in various roles in operations and management to lead Regent Plaza Hotel in the capacity…
VIETNAM: Serena Hotels wins four awards at the star-studded World Travel Awards (WTA) Asia & Oceania Gala Ceremony 2019 in Vietnam. The elite of the travel industry assembled at the pristine island of Phu Quoc to find out who amongst them had been crowned best of the best. Islamabad Serena Hotel took home the title of ‘Pakistan’s Leading Hotel’ and ‘Pakistan’s Leading Presidential Suite’ whereas Kabul Serena Hotel won ‘Afghanistan’s Leading Hotel’ and Dushanbe Serena Hotel won ’Tajikistan’s Leading Hotel’ award. CEO Serena Hotels, Mr. Aziz Boolani said at the occasion, “Hotels without it’s employees are nothing. It is because…
WRITTEN BY CH FAISAL MAHMOOD Undoubtedly tourism is a driver of job growth and economic prosperity, accounting for 1 in 10 jobs worldwide and delivering 1 in 5 of all new jobs created in 2018.But if we dig deeper and the story gets more interesting still. In recently held WTTC Global Summit, former President of Costa Rica Laura Chinchilla Miranda put it like this: “Tourism equates to 27% of Costa Rica’s GDP. 80% of that benefits the lowest quintile and 60% of the jobs are for women.” Just take the example of a tiny island ‘Maldives’ Tourism accounts for nearly…