MIRPUR-AJK: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan on Sunday, 6 December said that his government was committed to make Rawalkot a hub of tourism. The government intended to develop the infrastructure of areas which had enormous potential for tourism and Rawalakot stood among them, he said while talking to media. Poonch, being a top attraction for tourists, would be developed under a master plan, he added. The prime minister said due to code of conduct of the election commission he could not make announcements for development of the area during the election campaign. He assured…
Author: holidayweekly
TOKYO: A Japanese sushi boss has paid a record $3.1m (PKR 434m) for a giant tuna at the first New Year’s auction in Tokyo’s new fish market. Self-styled “Tuna King” Kiyoshi Kimura bought the 278kg (612lbs) Pacific Bluefin Tuna, which is an endangered species. He spent more than twice the previous record of $1.4m, which he paid in 2013. Wholesalers and sushi company owners often pay high prices for the best fish at the first pre-dawn auction of the New Year. “I bought a good tuna,” Kimura told AFP after the auction. “The price was higher than originally thought, but…
CHICAGO: Boeing delivered some 69 737 planes in December and set a new annual record of 806 deliveries in 2018, surpassing its previous record of 763 deliveries in 2017. Even as Boeing delivered more jets, the company again grew its significant order book with 893 net orders, including 203 plane sales in December. “Boeing raised the bar again in 2018 thanks to our teammates’ incredible focus on meeting customer commitments, and continuously improving quality and productivity,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes president, Kevin McAllister. “In a dynamic year, our production discipline and our supplier partners helped us build and deliver more…
MONTREAL: A new payment method for air tickets has been tested with a number of airlines, including Cathay Pacific Airways, Scandinavian Airlines and Emirates. The first ticket purchase was made via IATA Pay, a partnership between the International Air Transport Association and fintech company Ipagoo. IATA Pay is an initiative to create a new process for consumers who are buying a ticket from an airline website. According to a statement, the initiative has been made possible by the European Commission’s Payment Services Directive and the United Kingdom’s Open Banking regulation, which make for a highly secure direct payment from the customer’s account to…
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), putting an end to VIP culture has abolished all protocols and extraordinary arrangements for government and non-government officials across the country in a bid to put an end to the VIP culture. The airlines’ President, Air Marshal Arshad Malik has asked the national flag-carrier to follow the regular procedure at all level. Following this new order, the airline’s President and the Chief Executive Officer will not be able to enjoy protocol and extraordinary arrangements. The PIA has also launched an austerity campaign, putting an end to the special treatment being provided to its pilots and…
MANAMA: Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, has revealed its business plans for 2019 to internal and external stakeholders during its commercial conference held in Manama, Bahrain, as part of its ongoing commitment to strengthen its position as a national asset to the economic growth of the Kingdom. The conference was held in the Wyndham Grand Hotel in Bahrain Bay and was attended by the airline’s Chairman, Executive Management, station managers from the airline’s network, Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), Bahrain Airport Company and Gulf Air Group. In line with its 5 year strategy to…
PESHAWAR: A 20-member delegation from China last week visited the Peshawar Museum and other historic places in the city. They evinced a keen interest in the findings and discoveries of Buddhism and Buddhist heritage. General Manager Tourist Information Centres (TICs), Muhammad Ali Syed, welcomed the Chinese delegation and garlanded the visiting guests. Curator Muhammad Asif briefed the visiting dignitaries on the archaeological sites in Peshawar, Buddhism, a gallery of Buddhist statues, antiques and artifacts. They said there were over 6,000 archaeological and heritage sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where research was being carried out to revive these sites properly. “The followers…
PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senior Minister Muhammad Atif Khan said that his department was launching unique projects for the uplift of youth to engage them in healthy activities. Presiding a meeting of Youth Development Commission at Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) here, the senior minister said that national youth carnival will soon be organised for the youth of KP and merged areas to provide them better opportunities to showcase their skills. Member Provincial Assembly Dr Asia Asad, Tourism Department Additional Secretary Babar Khan, Director Youth Affair Asfandyar Khattak, Director General Sports Junaid Khan, Peshawar District Nazim Asim Khan and others also…
MUSCAT: Oman is set to officially launch its fourth regional airport on Janauary 14 at Duqm, located 3,000 km from capital Muscat. The Duqm Airport, which will come up on 27,386 sq m area, has an area capacity of half million travellers annually, and the ability to expand to two million travellers annually, reported Kuwait News Agency (Kuna). The upcoming aviation facility includes a navigation compound, a 38-m-tall air traffic control (ATC) tower and a 9,958-sq-m air cargo building with an area capacity of 25 tons per year, it stated. The airport also boasts a 4-km-long runway with a width…
DUBAI: The value of UAE online travel sales in 2018 has crossed the impressive figure of $4.71 billion, driven by a growing population, an increasing number of tourists, and UAE residents’ shift towards digital services, according to new analysis from Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The analysis, based on recent data from Euromonitor International, found that direct online sales in 2018 are expected to hit $2.5 billion, supported by higher airline sales. Meanwhile,$2.3 billion worth of online sales from intermediary companies were accounted for during the same year. Online travel sales through intermediary companies recorded a compound annual growth…