ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will issue five-year visas to US businessmen and tourists in order to get the same from the US after it reduced the visa validity from five years to one year earlier in March this year. The US Department of State said that they are implementing enhanced screening procedure according to which, all applicants now have to submit their social media handles. According to the statement issued by the US, the new rule would add an extra security measurement which would eventually help to eliminate anyone having questionable content on their profiles. This is mandatory for all applicants, including…
Author: holidayweekly
KARACHI: Each year Marriott International marks the anniversary of its founding, May 20, 1927, by dedicating a week to express appreciation to the global family of associates. This year due to Ramadan, the celebration in MEA has been planned in the month of June. Karachi Marriott Hotel started the week with the theme of Well Being day. A Yoga session was arranged for all associate. Mr. Sohail Yogi was invited for the session. He taught very useful yoga styles including some common lifestyle checks to enable associate practice yoga independently. Ice cream Day was arranged for all the associates as…
LONDON: Sikh businessmen and gurdwara’s around the world will invest 500 million pounds for develop religious tourism, with focus on Sikh places, in Pakistan, said Peter Virdee, Chairman of The Virdee Foundation, UK. The Sikh businessmen made the commitment during a meeting with Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari, Chairman Pakistan Tourism Board, Chairman PTDC & Special Assistant to the PM. The meeting held in London on 10 June 2019. “The relationship between India and Pakistan has been up and down. I believe, even in the toughest of times recently, there has been no stoppage towards building of Kartarpur and building on religious…
WRITTEN BY CH FAISAL MAHMOOD There are reasons why we have such enduring and in-depth faith in our country and in its future as the world’s major tourist destination; one such reason is that positive developments do somehow emerge, sooner or later, sometime unexpectedly, sometimes awaitedly, to re-set our path to real progress. Suddenly, when the nation is pressed under several macro and micro issues, both internal and external, affecting all and sundry, we have this Prime Ministerial decision to appoint a Chairman PTDC and Chairman National Tourism board and under the Chairman, ten working groups, renovation of Swat, Chitral…
DOHA: Qatar Airways’ inaugural flight from Doha to Malta landed at Malta International Airport, marking the launch of the airline’s newest gateway to Europe. Operated by an Airbus A320 aircraft, flight QR383 was welcomed with a celebratory water cannon salute upon arrival at the historic Mediterranean island’s international airport. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to launch direct services to Malta, the latest addition to Qatar Airways’ rapidly expanding European network. “Set against the incredible backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea, Malta, with its stunning natural attractions and breath-taking architecture, is one of Europe’s most…
WASHINGTON: NASA might not be just about research and scientific discovery in the future. Instead, it might be another travel opportunity for the tourists out there. Now NASA is planning to open the International Space Station for commercial businesses, including ones from the tourism industry, beginning in 2020. In addition, the space agency said in a statement that it is partnering with 11 companies to create 14 commercial facilities to aid in research and development projects. Up until now, NASA has banned commercial flights to the ISS. However, since the station is not owned by one single country, tourists have…
ISTANBUL & LONDON: IATI, Turkey’s leading online travel company and travel services integrator, and Sabre Corporation, the leading technology provider to the global travel industry, today announced a new agreement covering distribution services and a range of Sabre’s state-of-the-art IT solutions. IATI’s 38,000 travel agents in 80 countries will have access to Sabre’s GDS of more than 420 airlines, 750,000 hotels, and hundreds of tour operators, rail, car and cruise providers, enabling them to sell personalized travel packages from suppliers all over the world. With a gamut of bookable content and fast response times, Sabre’s solutions will help ensure that…
MUSCAT: SalamAir has received a brand-new Airbus A320neo aircraft, the second of this model in the airline’s fleet. With their wider aisles, wider seats, more stowage space and unbeatable fuel efficiency, the new A320neo is custom-built for SalamAir and can comfortably accommodate 180 guests. The newest addition, which will join the airline’s existing Airbus A320neo, is part of SalamAir’s extensive expansion strategy. Captain Mohamed Ahmed, CEO of SalamAir, said: “We are thrilled to be one of the first airlines in the region to take receipt of the much sought-after A320neo aircraft. This new aircraft means we are opening the skies…
Amadeus has completed the acquisition of ICM Group, the ultimate head office of ICM Airport Technics, for an undisclosed sum. ICM, a global leader in passenger automation and self-service bag drop solutions for airports and airlines based in Sydney, Australia, will complement Amadeus’ offering for airport operations. Thanks to this deal, Amadeus is now able to design, configure, implement, operate and support all airport systems needed to manage passengers and their baggage from end-to-end. Importantly, the addition of ICM’s leading portfolio of solutions strengthens Amadeus’ ability to re-imagine check-in, boarding and security in ways that significantly enhance the traveller experience,…
SEOUL: Global airlines have committed themselves to improve the air travel experience for the estimated one billion people living with disabilities worldwide. The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) 75th annual general meeting (AGM) in Seoul, South Korea, unanimously approved a resolution in this regard. It confirmed the commitment of airlines to ensuring that passengers with disabilities have access to safe, reliable and dignified travel, and calls upon governments to use IATA’s core principles for accommodating passengers with disabilities. These principles aim to change the focus from disability to accessibility and inclusion by bringing the travel sector together with governments to…