Middle East tops the travel charts

Celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2008, Cox & Kings has launched its new Middle East brochure for 2009, featuring a comprehensive programme of escorted group tours and private tailor-made travel to the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia. The company has announced record figures to the Middle East in the last twelve months, with a 67% increase in booking numbers to the region overall.

Cox & Kings’ Middle East Product Manager, Mark Stacey, says “we are delighted to see such a resurgence in the popularity of the Middle East. From Uzbekistan’s Islamic cities to Jordan’s Crusader castles and Morocco’s winding souks – the region has so much to offers visitors in the way of sites, history and culture. It also benefits from almost guaranteed weather conditions and short flight times.”

Syria has seen the biggest growth in the region, with passenger numbers up 365% on the same period last year. “Our group tour in Syria is extremely popular with first time visitors” explains Stacey “but we are also seeing more and more people opting for tailor-made visits to Syria. The Arab Capital of Culture for 2008, Damascus is a fascinating city that makes a great short break destination just five hours from the UK, or it can be combined with Istanbul and Aleppo by train”.

Iran is seeing encouraging growth as its unique culture and wonderful architecture receive more exposure. Cox & Kings’ Treasures of Persia group tour (page 56) has re-entered the brochure after a year of strong sales from the website. The eight-night introductory tour combines the Islamic architecture of Isfahan and Shiraz, the ancient Achaemanid capital of Pasargadae and the wonderful bas-reliefs of the palace of Persepolis. From £1,495 per person.

Bookings to Egypt have doubled in the last year, with a dramatic surge in Nile cruise bookings in particular. The 2009 brochure’s extended cruise portfolio comprises a number of luxurious new vessels from Oberoi, Movenpick and Sonesta, amongst others. The launch of the Oberoi Zahra in October 2008 upped the ante for luxury Nile cruisers and it’s still the best on the river. Cox & Kings offers an 11-night private journey, including a seven-night cruise on Zahra, from £2,895 per person.

Looking forward to the year ahead, the company predicts further growth in the Tailor-Made sector. Tailor-Made journeys organised to the Middle East in the last year have included a month-long Northern Africa Explorer tour, combining Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt, and a three-week overland trip from Istanbul to Cairo, passing through Syria, Jordan and the Sinai peninsula. “Cox & Kings offers one of the most comprehensive programmes in the Middle East” explains Mark Stacey. “We have the experience and the expertise to offer complete flexibility in the region and there’s actually very little we can’t arrange”.

The first in a new-look collection of brochures from Cox & Kings, the Middle East 2009 programme features an extended range of private journeys and tailor-made options in Egypt and a new itinerary in Jordan venturing further off-the-beaten-track.