JEDDAH: With the start of long summer holidays just around the corner, Emirates Holidays launched its new, exciting holiday brochure dubbed "A World of Choice 2011-12" in Saudi Arabia recently targeting its prime market. The new brochure includes a wide variety of exciting holiday ideas and suggestions to over 130 destinations in 37 countries from across the globe. It caters to all holiday makers – from adventure seekers to culture and history enthusiasts, from family or honeymoon getaways, to one-of-a-kind luxury train and cruise experiences. This year's brochure also includes details on trips to Amsterdam, Prague, Tokyo and Madrid, following the launch of these new routes by Emirates airline. It also features over 550 hotels and resorts as well as a vast range of tours, excursions and cruises that Emirates Holidays can tailor make for the customers. "Saudi Arabia is one of the most important markets for Emirates Holidays outside the UAE, representing 12 percent of its total revenue. The official launch of the brochure here, reaffirms our commitment to this market and it is our objective to offer the best and the widest selection of holiday packages to Saudi travelers," Dina Al Herais, Vice President-Commercial, Emirates Holidays, said in a press conference on June 5 at the Emirates airline office in Jeddah. The Far East, Australia, the Indian Ocean Islands and the UAE are among the consistently popular family holiday destinations for Saudi travelers. In Europe, the top four selling destinations for the Saudi market remain France, Germany, Austria and the UK. Saudi travelers combine their holidays - be it in the Far East, Indian Ocean Islands or Europe – with a short break in Dubai. Multi-Center holidays, or a combination of two or three destinations are also very popular among Saudi families during summer. The brochure reflects "current trends and shifts in holiday travel, and of course, further elevate the well-researched, bespoke holiday offerings we are known for," Al Herais added. Asked about the level of services and quotation Emirates Holidays offers, Khalid A.J. Hassan, Regional Manager-Commercial Operations Middle East & Africa, told Saudi Gazette that the company provides "affordable and competitive" price and services in the same 4 and five-star category that it operates. He added that Emirates Holidays has a far greater leverage being the tour-operating arm of Emirates airline which flies to over 130 destinations in 37 countries from across the globe. It has also experienced travel consultants with in-depth knowledge of destinations as well as very efficient leisure travel staff backed up by a computerized system who operate around the clock (24-7) to handle all needs of the travelers and promptly assist in all matters to make the travelers' journey exciting and comfortable. Moreover, this year Emirates Holidays offers Skywards members 20 percent bonus Miles on all Emirates Holidays packages of three or more nights plus a special offer of five percent discount to those who will book and pay 21 days prior to departure, Hassan said. Other new features of this year's brochure are the cruise trips to selected spectacular and exotic destinations, train journeys, "palaces on wheels" in India, and stay at boutique resorts and villas in Sri Lanka. With approximately 1,000 hotels and resorts in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Asia, and Australasia based on the Emirates airline's network, the ultimate objective of Emirates Holidays is to make every bit of the journey a stimulating and unforgettable experience.
