The FINANCIAL — Intercontinental, the leading Georgian tour operator, expects 20-30% increase in tourists to Egypt during the winter period. The company served 1,300 individuals in the winter period last year. Nino Makhviladze, General Director of Tour Operator Intercontinental, shared the company’s interesting news for Georgian travellers.
For winter Intercontinental plans to add a new destination – Egypt-Taba. The resort is located on the Red Sea Riviera and is distinguished by its sandy beaches. Its reefs are quite fresh and are not yet developed.
“Taba is distinguished by a combination of sea and mountains, which is uncommon for Egypt. Moreover, tourists will have the opportunity to travel to Israel and Jordan. The resort is quite distinguished and there is an even wider variety of high-class hotels than in Sharm El Sheikh. The quality of service is quite high and the temperature is warmer than in other cities,” declared Makhviladze.
The prices at Taba will be radically different and even 40% less compared to in Sharm El Sheikh.
Why Egypt?
‘Egypt is an ancient country and it is impossible to see everything in one journey. It is advised to visit Cairo as well as see Alexandria. Moreover, Luxor and other locations such as Aswan are quite interesting too. A cruise on the Nile includes historical cities and monuments as well as seeing ancient areas, where Egyptian traditions and styles are preserved. In Cairo one should see the pyramids, Sphinx, the factory of papyrus and museums.
Q. Which other exotic countries does Intercontinental offer as travel destinations?
A. For many years we have been working with India, Thailand, the Maldives, as well as Cuba which is the visit card of the Caribbean.
Each country is interesting and different in terms of its people’s mentality and style of living. The Maldives is distinguished by its coasts and a sea temperature of 27-28 degrees Celsius. The French Polynesian islands are incomparable also. Thailand is distinguished by its exotic nature. Cuba is special because of its exoticness as well, where old-fashioned cars still drive around and communism reigns. The people there are warm and happy, despite the fact that their average monthly income is only around 20 USD.
Q. Besides Egypt, where would you advise travellers to spend the winter, in particular for those who love the combination of sun and sea?
A. These are ideal winter resorts – the Maldives, and the Caribbean. It is quite difficult to choose between them as each country has its individual charm and beauty.
Egypt is most convenient as Intercontinental offers charter flights to Egypt, which saves the customer time and money. The prices of charter flight air tickets are significantly lower.
Europe is always a popular destination throughout the year. In recent times Sharm El Sheikh and Egypt in general though have become the most popular destination for winter.
In the past booking in advance was not a common habit for Georgians. However, this year we face quite a different situation. Travellers have already started planning their winter holidays which is good both for them and for the company. In recent years, clients have applied at the last minute before departure and have encountered problems in finding places and accommodation to their liking.
Q. Which destinations were most popular with Intercontinental travellers during the summer?
A. Turkey has been popular for years, but this is due to the fact that tour operators did not provide the chance for society to choose any other destination. So far this year Hurghada, the Egyptian resort has proved to be quite popular among travellers.
Out of European destinations, France is the most popular destination, followed by Italy. Moreover, the demand for Cuba has been increasing every year.
Q. Which places and cities would you advise a newly married couple to travel to for their winter holidays?
A. For romantic honeymooners we usually advise Paris and we always see many couples who choose to travel to France. Moreover, Prague has become quite popular among newlyweds in recent years.
Intercontinental provides special presents for the newly married, such as decoration of the hotel room for their arrival, a congratulations card and bottle of Georgian wine.
Q. Have the visa processes to Schengen countries become easier recently? How often do Intercontinental travellers face problems with getting Schengen visas?
A. I would not say that the procedures of getting a Schengen visa have become simpler, as we have to pass through the same processes and provide the same documentation as before.
I would not say that our clients face any problems in getting visas though. We have many year history of cooperating with Schengen consulates and within this time frame, we have not had any case of a guest violating the terms of their visa. Moreover we are quite attentive with tourists planning to travel to Schengen countries, and become assured from the start that their goal is really to travel there for holiday purposes.
Q. Have the demands of tourists changed in the last two months? What do today’s travellers prize most?
A. for today’s travellers service quality and comfort are vital. When choosing sea resorts Georgian tourists always prefer to choose places in the first zone. The more people travel the more their demand changes regarding hotel category and brand.
Q. Does Intercontinental bring tourists in to Georgia? In your opinion, which places in Georgia might be of interest to foreigners?
A. Intercontinental plans to host foreign tourists in Georgia. However, there are still many issues that need resolving.
In Georgia there are many sights to see and visit, including Svaneti, Tusheti, Tbilisi and the wine region Kakheti. For ski lovers, Gudauri is suitable. What’s more there are still even some largely undiscovered places to explore in Georgia.
Q. In your opinion, which factors should be improved in Georgia for the successful development of tourism?
A. Infrastructure should be developed further. There are interesting places especially in the mountain areas such as Tusheti and Svaneti. In the winter period there is a problem in reaching those places though as they are so remote. Moreover, more contemporary hotels are desperately needed in those areas to raise the overall prestige of the destination. There is even need for proper guesthouses in several places.
As well as this, the communication between travel agencies and hotels in Georgia is quite fraught. The hotels only provide discounts to tour operators during the off-peak season. If tour operators do not have financial aspirations, they do not invest in participating in trade exhibitions in foreign countries, or finding foreign partners.
Q. How acceptable are the prices of hotels and air tickets in Georgia?
A. I believe that the prices are quite inappropriate in Georgia. In recent times, there have appeared some low-cost airline companies on the market which have caused a small change in prices. However, the prices are not at a level to satisfy most travellers. The prices of similar quality luxury hotels in foreign countries are lower than in Georgia. This is due to the popularization of those destinations. I believe that this step is important and necessary for Georgia to move forward as a popular, competitive international holiday destination
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