Travel agents – Sri Lanka Travel News

Emirates Increases Capacity on its Recently Introduced Chicago Route

srilankamiracle — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 04:41:51 +0000

Emirates, a global connector of people and places, will be able to connect even more people with Chicago on 1st May when it switches from its Boeing 777-200LR currently operating the route to a larger Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, adding passenger capacity.

Emirates launched its Chicago service—its ninth U.S. gateway—on 5th August 2014.

Less than a year later, the route has carried 66,000 passengers and 3,410 tonnes of cargo to-date.

The increase in capacity will offer 88 additional Economy Class seats, representing a 33 percent increase in seating capacity.

The choice of premium cabin seats remains unchanged, offering customers a choice of eight First Class Suites and 42 Business Class seats.

“Emirates has seen steady growth and strong customer demand for our Chicago route since its launch only five months ago.

The up-gauge to a Boeing 777-300ER in May will introduce Emirates’ unique product and service to even more of our customers”, said Hubert Frach, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations West – Americas, Africa, Europe and Russian Federation.

“Chicago is home to 2.7 million residents, making it America’s third-largest city.

By increasing capacity in this market, we are able to offering more chance for passengers and businesses to connect, not only with our home and hub Dubai, but also across Emirates’ global network including the airline’s network of 10 cities in India, 17 in the Far East and 24 points in Africa.”

Chicago is home to many of the US’s largest companies, including Boeing, which is a very important partner of Emirates.

Emirates is the largest operator of US built Boeing 777 aircraft in the world, with a 777 fleet of 131 passenger and 12 freighter aircraft which contribute towards the airline’s overall fleet of 232 wide-bodied aircraft.

Rich in its cultural heritage, world-class arts establishments, accomplished sports teams and iconic tourist attractions, which attract about 46 million people each year, Chicago surpassed Atlanta’s Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport as the busiest domestic airport in 2014.

Similarly, last month Dubai International Airport surpassed London Heathrow as the busiest international airport in the world.

Emirates’ daily flight EK235 departs from Dubai International Airport at 09:40 and arrives at Chicago O’Hare International Airport at 15:30.

The return flight, EK236, departs from O’Hare at 20:30 and lands in Dubai at 19:10 the next day.

Both flights offer convenient connections to and from many of Emirates’ global network of over 147 destinations across six continents.

The passenger service is complemented by Emirates’ dedicated freighter service which operates two times a week from O’Hare.

On-board, passengers can discover ice, Emirates’ award winning entertainment system offering more than 2,000 channels of on-demand entertainment at every seat, dedicated children’s menus and activities, and gourmet regionally inspired dishes with complimentary beverages, while being served by Emirates’ multi-lingual Cabin Crew.

Tickets for this route are available for purchase through customers’ preferred travel agency, Emirates’ ticket offices or online atwww.emirates.com.

Source: http://businesscafe.lk/business-news/travel-tourism/item/1123-emirates-increases-capacity-on-its-recently-introduced-chicago-route

Sri Lanka targets China tourists

srilankamiracle — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:04:42 +0000

Sri Lanka will invite over 100 travel agents from China as part of efforts to boost visitors from the country where outbound tourism is growing, minister Keheliya Rambukwelle said

The cabinet of minister had approved a proposal by minister Basil Rajapaksa to invite the travel agents on a familiarization tour of the country.In 2013 Sri Lanka is targeting 60,000 Chinese visitors as part of efforts to attract 1.25 million tourists an ambitious 25 percent growth over 2012.

In 2012 visitors from China grew 58.1 percent to 25,781.

China has become a key outbound travel market in recent years with the country becoming the top source of visitors for many East Asian nations. Chinese are also a key contributor to Maldives.

Minister Rambukwelle the Chinese market was being developed as part of efforts to reduce the dependency on European visitors with India and China becoming large economic powers.

India does not need special promotion because of cultural affinities and because it is very close he said.

Visitors from India started to grow after visas were lifted in mid 2010. Last year visas were re-imposed. Growth fell to 2.9 percent.

Source : http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=2057899764

Sri Lanka Vietnam travel has strong potential: officials

srilankamiracle — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:31:08 +0000

Tourism between Sri Lanka and Vietnam which is just beginning has a strong potential to grow in the future, officials said during a familiarization tour of the county by travel agents of the Indian Ocean Island.

Senior representatives of 15 travel agents from Sri Lanka were on a familiazation tour of Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, Halong Bay and Hue ancient city, Da Nang in the centre, My Tho in the Mekong delta and the bustling Ho Chi Minh City in the south.

“You will be the bridge to link the peoples of our two countries,” Nguyen T Phoung Mai, general director of Hanoi Toserco, a state run travel services firm started in 1988 to the Delegation.

She was addressing the delegation from Sri Lanka was headed by deputy head of the Vietnam embassy in Colombo Phung Trong Tuan and Roland Gunesekere head of Sri Lanka’s Safeway Travels at Toserco’s head office in Hanoi during the first leg of the tour.

“I think when we get back we will be able to give a better picture about Vietnam to Sri Lanka,” Gunesekera told the meeting.

Mai said representatives of her company had already visited Sri Lanka to gain initial information promote travel from Vietnam to Sri Lanka.

“But we need to do more research,” she said.

Gunasekera said Sri Lankans were already travelling to Vietnam but higher air fares compared to popular destinations like Thailand and Singapore put Vietnam out of the reach of some of their customers.

Tuan said a recent aviation bi-lateral signed between Sri Lanka and Vietnam could pave the way for lower fares.

The familiarization tour was supported by Vietnam’s Hanoi Toserco, FidiTour, the embassy and travel agencies.

Mai said in addition to Hanoi and Halong Bay, a breathtaking group of hundreds of karst limestone islets dotting a calm sea-green bay, tourist could also consider visiting mountainous areas of Sapa which has cool weather.

“We have a minority people there,” she said. “In Vietnam we have 54 ethnic groups with 53 minority groups.”

“They have their own language and culture.”

The familiarization tour was supported by Vietnam’s Hanoi Toserco, FidiTour, the embassy and travel agencies.

“We have a minority people there,” she said. “In Vietnam we have 54 ethnic groups with 53 minority groups.”

“They have their own language and culture.”

Vietnam welcomed 6.0 million tourists in 2011, and in the first seven months of 2012 Vietnam had received 3.8 million tourists up 10.8 percent from a year earlier.

In 2011, China, Korea, Japan and the United States were the top four generating markets. While 1.4 million Chinese, 536,000 Koreans, 418,000 Japanese and 439,000, Americans also visited the country.

Nine countries generated more than 200,000 tourists during 2011, including Cambodia, Taiwan, Australia, Malaysia and France.

Source : http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=1022815066