Author: holidayweekly

KATHMANDU: Before the start of the 2024 Mount Everest season, the government of Nepal has announced a new requirement that all climbers must rent and use tracking chips on their journey. “Reputed companies were already using them but now it’s been mandatory for all climbers,” Rakesh Gurung, director of Nepal’s department of tourism, said. “It will cut down search and rescue time in the event of an accident.” He explains that climbers will pay $10-15 apiece for the chips, which will be sewn into their jackets. Once the climber returns, the chip will be removed, given back to the government,…

ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopian Airlines Group, the largest airline group in Africa, has launched its state-of-the-art e-commerce logistics facility in Addis Ababa. Located inside the Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics premises, the newly built facility is dedicated to e-commerce, mail and courier logistics services, aimed at bridging logistical gaps, and positioning Addis Ababa as the cross-border e-commerce logistics hub for Africa and beyond. Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew said: “The inauguration of this cutting-edge e-commerce logistics facility is a significant breakthrough for Ethiopian Airlines Group and the entire African economy. “We have implemented high-end technologies in the infrastructure that revolutionize the…

KARACHI: In a bid to boost rural tourism and underscore the allure of locomotive travel, a comprehensive proposal for a ‘Desert Train Safari’ from Karachi to the border town of Khokhrapar in Sindh was thoroughly discussed in a meeting held at the City Railway Station on February 26, 2024. The meeting, attended by key stakeholders including Syed Feyaz Ali Shah (Managing Director, Sindh Tourism Development Corporation), Mr. Ashfaq Tabsum (Deputy Divisional Superintendent, Pakistan Railways), and Maj. Abdul Majeed (Headquarters 18 Division), focused on various aspects of the proposed train safari. Key Points from the Discussion: 1) Proposed Train Route: The…

ISLAMABAD: Pearl-Continental Hotel, Bhurban has been recertified by ISO-22000:2018 and HACCP, an esteemed international standard for food safety management, with 100% compliance two years in a row. ISO-22000 is an internationally accepted standard for food safety management systems, providing a comprehensive framework to ensure the safety of food products throughout the supply chain. It covers processes from primary production to consumption, emphasizing a holistic approach to food safety. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a systematic approach to food safety that identifies, evaluates, and controls potential hazards throughout food production. Developed in the 1960s by NASA in collaboration…

GWADAR: In a significant development, high-tech telecommunication work has completed in connection with ongoing gradual development of New Gwadar International Airport (NGIA). NGIA’s state of art telecommunication paraphernalia involves telecom networks and systems that use various technologies and protocols to facilitate the transmission of voice, data, and audio-video signals between devices, including smartphones, computers, and other communication devices. Talking to Gwadar Pro GPA official said that NGIA’s telecommunication work deals with telecom networks which are made up of various components, including transmission systems, switching systems, and network management systems.These components work together to ensure that communication signals are transmitted and…

BRUSSELS: The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is expected to lift restrictions on the flight operations of Pakistani aircraft, including those of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), on European routes in the coming months. According to a Report, a meeting of the EASA’s safety board is scheduled for May 2024. The future of PIA will reportedly be a central topic of discussion during the meeting. The sources, according to reports, further added that PIA has submitted the relevant documents to the EASA regarding this issue. Meanwhile, the final report is expected to be presented during the EASA’s safety board meeting…

MANAMA: Gulf Air Group Holding, has announced new appointments to the senior executive management team of Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Joining the senior management team will be Captain Qasim Ismaeel as Chief Operations Officer succeeding Captain Suhail Ismaeel following his retirement, and Hanadi Alaali as Chief Customer Experience Officer, both of whom will bring a wealth of experience and expertise to their respective roles. As Chief Operations Officer, Captain Ismaeel will lead the operational departments, including Flight Operations, Ground Operations, Safety and Emergency, as well as Crew Management. Captain Ismaeel has served Gulf Air…

RIYADH: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has topped the UN Tourism’s ranking for the growth of international tourist arrivals in 2023 compared to 2019 among large destinations, recording an increase of 56%, according to the World Tourism Barometer report released last month. Moreover, the report indicates Saudi Arabia recording a remarkable tourism recovery rate of 156% in international tourist arrivals in 2023 compared to 2019, it stated. These notable achievements in the tourism sector have positioned Saudi Arabia as a leader in the Middle East region’s global tourism recovery, which was the only region to surpass pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels with…

KARACHI: In a groundbreaking achievement, the PIA Karachi Booking Office Reservation and Counter Team, led by its esteemed PIA Ticket Office Manager, has been commended for their exceptional performance throughout 2023. The team’s remarkable milestone of attaining a record-breaking counter sales revenue of 1300 million has garnered widespread appreciation. This accomplishment is a testament to the dedication, hard work, and exemplary teamwork demonstrated by each member of the reservation team. Their commitment to excellence has not gone unnoticed, and we express our heartfelt gratitude to each team member for their unwavering efforts. The team’s proactive approach to professional development has…

ISLAMABAD: The upcoming government of Pakistan is set to conclude negotiations with Chinese authorities on the financing terms for the Main Line-1 (ML-1) project, a key initiative under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). According to Amir Ali Baloch, Chief Executive Officer of Pakistan Railways (PR), discussions will focus on the loan’s interest rate, repayment period, and other financial conditions. This development follows the completion of all preparatory stages of the project, with only the loan agreement pending.The ML-1 project, which aims to upgrade and modernize Pakistan’s railway infrastructure, has been agreed upon at a revised cost of $6.678 billion, down…